Singer Luther Vandross Dies

Grammy-winning R&B crooner Luther Vandross has died in Edison, New Jersey, at the age of 54, according to a spokesman for the John F. Kennedy Medical Center.

No cause of death was released, but spokesman Rob Cavanaugh said in a statement that Vandross “never really recovered” from a stroke two years ago.

The velvet-voiced singer of such hits as “Here and Now” had been in ill health since suffering a massive stroke on April 16, 2003, at his Manhattan home.

Just months after Vandross’s stroke, his 15th album, Dance with My Father, debuted at the top of the Billboard chart, making it his first No. 1 record.

Vandross won four Grammys for the album, including song of the year and best male R&B vocal performance.

At the time, longtime friend Aretha Franklin told PEOPLE of Vandross’s easy charm: “Luther can double you over with his humor.”

The unmarried singer is survived by his mother.