Luther Vandross

Blige, Usher, Fantasia , Beyonce, Aretha Franklin, Donna Summer, Alicia Keys, Elton John, Celine Dion, Wyclef Jean, Babyface, Patti LaBelle, John Legend, Angie Stone, and Jamie Foxx. In the computer game Deus Ex, Walton Simons is the director of FEMA. The artists on this compilation include Stevie Wonder, Mary J. In The X-Files movie, Alvin Kurtzweil tells Fox Mulder that FEMA is involved in the global conspiracy involving aliens. The album is a collection of some of Luther's songs performed by various artists. This position includes additional responsibilities beyond FEMA including the oversight of the Department of Energy's Nuclear Incident Response Team, or NIRT. On September 20th the album "So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross" was released. After the formation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003, the official title of the head of FEMA became Under Secretary of Emergency Preparedness and Response.

In 2002, BET put the question to Vandross in an interview televised on its show Journeys in Black. Vandross refused to address questions of his sexuality, and instead told BET it was none of their business and separated his personal life from his professional one. Qualified persons may submit applications here. Vandross was as famous for keeping his personal life private as he was for his singing. The President is currently hiring for this position. The entertainer said his "busy lifestyle" made marriage difficult; and indicated that "it was not what he wanted.". As Under Secretary of Emergency Preparedness and Response within DHS. The "lifelong bachelor" never had any children, but doted on his nieces and nephews. As director of Cabinet-level agency:.

There have been many questions regarding Vandross' sexuality, mainly due to the fact that he remained a bachelor all of his life. As director of the agency:. He has been quoted as calling Vandross "a very worthy rival," and "one of the best singers in the music industry.". Since Hurricane Katrina, some critics have called for FEMA to be removed from the Department of Homeland Security, saying that its position in the department badly hindered the agency's response. However, since Vandross' death, Jackson's feelings have turned noticeably softer. South Florida newspaper Sun-Sentinel has an extensive list of documented criticisms of FEMA during the four hurricanes that hit the region in 2004.[5] Some of the criticisms include:. Even some music critics joked, "Well, it's a shame that Luther Vandross and Freddie Jackson never did 'The Girl is Mine' together!". FEMA does encourage disaster victims to reduce future losses by considering "taking steps to rebuild safer and smarter," advising them to[4]:.

When the song came out, Brandy was often compared to Vandross, and Monica was inserted into Jackson's role. The Cato Institute's Handbook for Congress argues that private companies could perform the tasks carried about by FEMA, and that this would encourage home construction in safer areas[3]:. Because of this, they are blamed for inspiring future rivalries in R&B/hip-hop music, especially that of Brandy and Monica, who recorded a duet called "The Boy is Mine" in 1998. Moreover, he said that FEMA is used by incumbent presidents to shore up political support[2]. Many times, Vandross and Jackson were very unfriendly to each other, and their encounters were often heated. In 1997, James Bovard criticized FEMA for subsidizing rebuilding in places that are vulnerable to natural disasters, asking, "[D]o we really want to help rebuild homes and government property in areas that should never have been built on in the first place?" He also claimed that localities are less likely to fund their own snow removal if they know the federal government will bail them out in the event of snow emergencies[1]. Vandross' best-known rivalry was the one with Freddie Jackson, which was started in the mid-1980s. Survivors of Katrina can learn more about FEMA assistance available at a wiki web site FEMAanswers.org.

In later years, artists like Gerald Levert, James Ingram and Phil Collins shared friendly rivalries with him. The telephone number to receive disaster assistance from FEMA is 800-621-3362. In the early stages of his solo career, Vandross' rivals included Peabo Bryson, Teddy Pendergrass and Jeffrey Osborne. There are hundreds of thousands of Katrina evacuees living in temporary shelters and/or trailer parks set up by FEMA and other relief organizations in the first months after the disaster hit. It was with Beyoncé that he recorded yet another cover of a well-known song, "The Closer I Get To You", originally recorded by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. After the February 7 deadline, Katrina victims will be left to their own devices to either find permanent housing for the long term, or to continue in social welfare programs set up by other organizations. Besides Studdard, Vandross also inspired countless other artists, both male and female, such as Boyz II Men, Usher, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys and Brandy. FEMA set a deadline of February 7, 2006 as the official end of any further coverage of temporary housing costs for Katrina victims.

Vandross inspired his J Records labelmate, Ruben Studdard, the American Idol of 2003. However, formal investigations have yet to determine who exactly is to blame (and to what extent) for the Katrina disaster. His hit "Love Power" included snippets of the soul classic "The Power of Love." Another hit, "Bad Boy (Having a Party)," contained a passage from Sam Cooke's "Having a Party.". It is widely held that many things did not function as planned. Vandross did many covers of older songs, such as "Since I Lost My Baby" (originally recorded by The Temptations), "Superstar (Until You Come Back To Me)" (originally recorded by The Carpenters and most recently covered by Ruben Studdard), "Love Won't Let Me Wait" (originally recorded by Major Harris), "Always and Forever" (originally recorded by Heatwave), "Knocks Me Off My Feet" (originally recorded by Stevie Wonder), and "Lovely Day" (originally recorded by Bill Withers), and "A House is Not A Home", a Burt Bacharach standard. Katrina was seen as the first major test of the nation’s new disaster response plan under DHS. Vandross was inspired by the soul divas of the 1960s: Dionne Warwick, Patti Labelle & the Bluebells, Diana Ross & the Supremes and Aretha Franklin, for whom he eventually produced a few albums. Michael Brown would eventually be relieved of command of the Katrina disaster and soon thereafter resign.

After two days of viewing, Vandross was buried in George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey. Brown was criticized personally for a slow response and apparent disconnect with the actual situation on the ground. His funeral was in New York on July 8, 2005. Then FEMA Director Michael D. We lost Luther very early because of his medical condition, but his legacy will be a powerful legacy.". FEMA was widely criticized for what is seen as a slow initial response to the disaster and an inability to effectively manage, care for and move those trying to leave the city. Jesse Jackson, a friend of Vandross, described him as "a boy so mellow, so powerful; a boy of rare, rare vintage. The situation was compounded by flood waters in the city that hampered transportation and poor communication between the federal government, state and local entities.

The Rev. The enormous number of evacuees simply overwhelmed rescue personnel. It was reported that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family and friends. Within three days, a large contingent of National Guard and active duty troops were deployed to the region. At this time, the cause of death is not known, although hospital spokesman Rob Cavanaugh has said that Vandross never recovered from the 2003 stroke. FEMA was responsible for the evacuation of the thousands of people who remained in New Orleans during the storm, as well as initial recovery work and appropriations. He was 54. FEMA had pre-positioned response personnel in the Gulf Coast region, however many were only able to report of dire situation along the Gulf Coast, especially from New Orleans.

Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey. FEMA received intense criticism for its response to the disaster. On the videotape on which Vandross appeared he sent an emotional message that said: "Whenever I say goodbye it's never for long because I believe in the power of love." Vandross died on July 1, 2005 at John F. August 2005 saw one of the worst natural disasters in United States history. (Although the cause of Vandross' stroke was not specifically attributed to diabetes, diabetics have been identified as being much more susceptible to strokes.) Although he appeared briefly on videotape at the 2004 Grammys to accept his Song of the Year award, he was never seen in public again. (see also Hurricane Katrina). On April 16, 2003, Vandross suffered a stroke in his home in Manhattan. Within the $5.5 billion, FEMA was also allotted funds to pay for its own recovery efforts.

Luther Jr.'s two sisters and a brother also predeceased him. As of 2003, FEMA had received US$5.5 billion to distribute amongst local and state agencies to help offset the cost of recovery. was eight years old. FEMA played its largest role in the appropriation of federal funds to aid local and state governments in paying for the disaster. His father, Luther Sr., died of complications from diabetes when Luther Jr. FEMA had deployed 25 of the 28 Urban Search and Rescue teams at its disposal to the World Trade Center site, however the New York City Office of Emergency Management was in charge of the WTC recovery effort. His weight fluctuated several times over the years, and Vandross had weighed over 300 pounds (136 kg) at his heaviest. In the minutes after the first hijacked plane slammed into the World Trade Center towers, FEMA as well as emergency services all over the city and state of New York were mobilized.

Vandross had diabetes, a disease that ran in his family, as well as hypertension. (see also September 11 2001 attacks). The stars include Beyonce, Ruben Studdard, Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones submitted home videos or pictures of their families for the music video. FEMA had previously been criticized for its response to Hurricane Hugo, which hit South Carolina in September 1989, and many of the same issues that plagued the agency during Hurricane Andrew were also evident during the response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The video for the title track features a various celebreties alongside their dads and family members. Within five days, the federal government and neighboring states had dispatched 20,000 National Guard and active duty troops to South Dade County to set up temporary housing. The album was also the first album by Vandross to reach #1 on the Billboard album chart. FEMA and the federal government at large were accused of not responding fast enough to house, feed, and sustain the approximately 250,000 people left homeless in the affected areas.

The song also won Vandross his fourth and final award in the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance category. FEMA was widely criticized for the agency’s response to Andrew, summed up by the famous exclamation, "Where in the hell is the cavalry on this one?" by Dade County, Florida, emergency management director Kate Hale. The title track, which was dedicated to the memory of the younger Vandross' childhood dances with his father, won Luther and his co-writer, singer Richard Marx, the 2004 Grammy Award for Song Of The Year. In August 1992, Hurricane Andrew struck the Florida and Louisiana coasts with 165 mph (265 km/h) sustained winds. In 2003, Vandross released the album Dance With My Father in memory of his father. (see also Hurricane Andrew). His first album on Clive Davis' new label, entitled Luther Vandross, was released in 2001, and it produced the hits "Take You Out," "Grown Thangs" and "I'd Rather.". There are also Mobile Air Transportable Telecommunications System (MATTS) assets which can be airlifted in.

After recording "I Know" on Virgin Records, he signed with J Records. For instance, they may operate a truck with satellite uplink, computers, telephone, and power generation at a staging area near a disaster, so that the responders can communicate with the outside world. A second greatest hits album, released in 1997, compiled most of his 1990s hits and was his final record released through Epic Records. These teams provide communications support to local public safety. In the Grammy Awards of 1997, he won his third Best Male R&B Vocal for the track "Your Secret Love". mines. He also sang a duet with Frank Sinatra on Sinatra's Duets album. These task forces rescue victims of structural collapse and other confined spaces, ex.

Vandross hit the top ten again in 1994 with "Endless Love", a duet with Mariah Carey and a cover of Lionel Richie and Diana Ross's hit song from the film Endless Love. National Medical Response Teams (NMRT) are equipped to decontaminate victims of chemical and biological agents. In 1993, Vandross had a nonspeaking role in the Robert Townsend movie Meteor Man. He played a hit man who plotted to stop Townsend's title character. Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Teams (DMORT) provide mortuary and forensic services. In 1992, "The Best Things in Life are Free", a duet with Janet Jackson from the movie Mo' Money became a hit. There are also National Nursing Response Teams (NNRT), National Pharmacy Response Teams (NPRT), and Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams (VMAT). He won his second Best Male R&B Vocal in the Grammy Awards of 1992 with the track "Power of Love/Love Power" winning the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in the same year. Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT) provide medical care at disasters and are typically made up of doctors and paramedics.

More albums followed in the 1990s, beginning with 1991's Power of Love which spawned two top ten pop hits. Teams are made up of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, etc, and are typically sponsored by hospitals, public safety agencies, or private organizations. His songs also became popular on smooth jazz radio. These teams provide medical and allied care to disaster victims. In addition, the song allowed him to expand his musical horizons beyond R&B. FEMA's emergency response is based around small, decentralized teams trained in such specialties as medical care, search and rescue, and communications. "Here and Now" became a staple at weddings, and on Soft AC radio. Other programs FEMA previously administered have since been internalized or shifted under direct DHS control.

He also won his first award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in the Grammy Awards of 1991. Fire Administration and the National Flood Insurance Program. The 1989 compilation of greatest hits, The Best Of Luther Vandross...The Best Of Love, included the ballad "Here And Now", the first Vandross single to chart in the Billboard pop chart Top Ten. FEMA currently manages the U.S. (Franklin saw some moderate commercial success with those Vandross-produced tracks after a long chart absence.). The Director reports directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security. He was also in demand as a producer; he was at the helm for Aretha Franklin's albums "Jump To It" and "Get It Right". Today, FEMA exists as part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate.

He also sang duets with Dionne Warwick and Cheryl Lynn. As a result, FEMA Director Michael Brown was relieved of command of the Gulf Coast region and resigned shortly thereafter. During the 1980s, Vandross had two other singles that reached #1 on the R&B charts: "Stop to Love" in 1986 and a duet with Gregory Hines "There's Nothing Better Than Love". FEMA and DHS both came under intense criticism for their handling of the Hurricane Katrina disaster in 2005 (see Katrina and Criticism sections below). Vandross had more modest success on the pop charts during this time. [Washington Post Dec 23, 2005]. Although the albums were very successful overall, many of his earlier albums made a much bigger impact on the R&B charts. Brown, FEMA's director and DHS Undersecretary, warned that the shift would make a mockery of FEMA's new motto, "A Nation Prepared," and would "fundamentally sever FEMA from its core functions," "shatter agency morale," and "break longstanding, effective and tested relationships with states and first responder stakeholders." The inevitable result of the reorganization of 2003, warned Brown, would be "an ineffective and uncoordinated response" to a terrorist attack or a natural disaster.

Vandross released a series of million-selling albums during the 1980s and continued his session work with guest vocals on groups like Charme in 1982. In September, 2003, Michael D. Their 1980 hits, "The Glow of Love" and "Searching" led to a recording contract with Epic Records, and in 1981, he made his solo recording debut with the LP "Never Too Much." The album, which contained the track "A House is Not a Home" went double platinum, with the song "Never Too Much" reaching #1 on the R&B charts. As a result, FEMA became part of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate of DHS, and employs more than 2,600 full time employees. He eventually made his breakthrough as a guest singer with the group Change. FEMA was absorbed into DHS as of 2003. His lead vocals can be heard on the Gregg Diamond produced single "Hot Butterfly" from Bionic Boogie in 1978 which gained moderate nightclub success. Following the Terrorist Attacks of 11 September 2001, President Bush created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to better coordinate between the different federal agencies that deal with law enforcement, disaster preparedness and recovery, border protection and civil defense.

He created and/or sang jingles for such well known advertising campaigns as Kentucky Fried Chicken's "We Do Chicken Right," NBC's "Proud As A Peacock" & The US Army's "Be All You Can Be." Vandross continued his successful career as a popular session singer during the late 70's. The end of the Cold War also allowed the agency’s resources to be turned away from civil defense to natural disaster preparedness. Vandross also wrote and sang commercials jingles during the late 1970s & early '80s earning upwards of $600,000 per year around the New York area. Witt initiated reforms that would help to streamline the disaster recovery and mitigation process. Vandross bought back the rights to these albums after the record label dropped the group, preventing their later re-release. In 1993 President Bill Clinton elevated FEMA to a cabinet level position and named James Lee Witt as FEMA Director. The group had a successful single entitled "It's Good for the Soul," although their two albums - the self-titled "Luther" in 1976 and "This Close to You" in 1977 - failed to make an impact. These disasters, while showing the agency could function properly, also uncovered some inefficiencies.

Before his breakthrough, he released two albums with a singing group he formed, also called Luther, on Cotillion Records. FEMA also responded to the Three Mile Island nuclear accident where the nuclear generating station suffered a partial core meltdown. She believed he was an incredible talent who, in addition to his songwriting and production skills, deserved to be heard for his si. One of the first disasters FEMA responded to was the dumping of toxic waste into Love Canal in Niagara Falls, New York in the late 1970’s. Roberta Flack pushed Vandross into starting his own career. FEMA was also given the responsibility for overseeing the nation’s Civil Defense, a function which had previously been performed by the Department of Defense’s Defense Civil Preparedness Agency. During the beginning of his career, Vandross was content to remain mostly in the background, as a producer and backup singer for other artists. FEMA absorbed the Federal Insurance Administration, the National Fire Prevention and Control Administration, the National Weather Service Community Preparedness Program, the Federal Preparedness Agency of the General Services Administration and the Federal Disaster Assistance Administration activities from HUD.

Vandross also sang backing vocals for Roberta Flack, Carly Simon, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, Chic, and Barbra Streisand. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter, at the prompting of the National Governor’s Association, signed Executive Order 12148 which put a new agency, FEMA, in charge of coordinating all disaster relief efforts at the federal level. He ended up singing background vocals on Bowie's album Young Americans.. Many government agencies were still involved in disaster relief, in some cases over 100 separate agencies may be jockeying for control and jurisdiction of a disaster. Vandross wrote "Everybody Rejoice," for the 1972 show The Wiz. However, Vandross had dropped out of the music scene when a friend from theater workshop invited him to sing in David Bowie's soul-influenced Diamond Dogs tour and appear as the opening act with the Mike Garson Band in 1974. This agency would oversee disasters such as Hurricane Carla in 1962, Hurricane Betsy in 1965, Hurricane Camille in 1969 and Hurricane Agnes in 1972, the Alaskan (Good Friday) Earthquake of 1964 and the San Fernando Earthquake of 1971. His next recording credit was on an album by Roberta Flack in 1972. By the start of the 1960’s, federal disaster relief and recovery was brought under the umbrella of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which created the Federal Disaster Assistance Administration.

He was also a member of a theater workshop at the time and appeared on the first episode of Sesame Street in October 1969. This “piecemeal approach” to disaster recovery was troubled by poor interagency cooperation and bureaucratic red tape. His first recording credit was as producer of the album Soul Christmas in 1968 and appeared as a vocalist on a Quincy Jones album Best in 1969. Army Corps of Engineers authority over flood control and irrigation projects and thus played a major role in disaster recovery from flooding. Vandross formed a vocal group in high school which once played at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. The Flood Control Act of 1944 also gave the U.S. He knew then that he wanted to be a singer. The Bureau of Public Roads in 1934 was given authority to finance the reconstruction of highways and roads after a disaster.

His life-changing moment came when at the age of 13 he heard Dionne Warwick sing Anyone Who Had A Heart (a song he would cover in his later years). RFC can be considered the first organized federal disaster response agency. His sister sang with vocal group The Crests who had a number one hit in the early 1960's with "Sixteen Candles." Vandross' father died of diabetes when Vandross was eight years old. RFC was also responsible for dispensing federal dollars in the wake of a disaster. Born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City, Vandross grew up in a musical family that moved to the Bronx when he was 13. The purpose of the RFC was to lend money to banks and institutions to stimulate economic activity. . After the start of the Great Depression in 1929, President Herbert Hoover had commissioned the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) in 1932.

He won four Grammy awards in 2004 including the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for the track "Dance With My Father," co-written with Richard Marx. POOP. During his career, Vandross sold 25 million albums and won eight Grammy awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times. After President Abraham Lincoln's assassination at Ford's Theatre, the 54th Congress passed legislation compensating those who were injured in the theatre. Luther Ronzoni Vandross, Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American R&B singer. Examples of these include the waiving of duties and tariffs to the merchants of New York City after a fire in the mid 1830’s. ISBN: 0060594187. Between 1803 and 1930, ad-hoc legislation was passed more than 100 times for relief or compensation after a disaster.

New York: Harper. This is widely considered the first piece of legislation passed by the federal government that provided relief after a disaster and can be viewed as the beginnings of federal policies to provide relief after a disaster. Luther : The Life and Longing of Luther Vandross. The Seventh Congress passed a number of measures in the Congressional Act of 1803, which provided relief for the merchants of Portsmouth by waiving duties and tariffs on goods. (2004). The first major disaster in the history of the United States was a series of devastating fires in the port city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. 2004 "Dance with My Father" #38 US, #21 UK. The history of FEMA can be divided into the following parts.

from Dance with My Father