Luther Vandross wrote “The Night I Fell In Love” with Marcus Miller for his fourth album also titled The Night I Fell In Love. Vandross’s silvery tenor personified romance and was supported in that expression with Lisa Fischer, Cissy Houston, Alfa Anderson, Phillip Ballou, Darlene Love, Paulette McWilliams, Brenda White King and Yvonne Lewis singing the sultry chorus. No one ever forgets his description of stars shining brighter than any other night as the most enchanting sign of love emerging between two people. Vandross’ ability to create magical feelings around the promise of love with his inviting tone encapsulated the whole album. The Night I Fell In Love connected with the fans and climbed the R&B charts and had other industry honors with two American Music Awards and one Grammy nomination.
The subsequent tour was memorable with several fan anecdotes about the vocal interaction between Vandross and Fischer. Thirty-seven years after the 1985 release of TNIFIL some people still believe it is Vandross’s best album but most agree on its overall musical significance. Vandross remains a current topic and influence in music 17 years after his passing. On April 20, 2021, Google made him the doodle of the day on what would have been his 70th birthday.
