by GERARD DEE

When his musical idol Luther Vandross passed away last year, from complications due to a stroke suffered in 2003, local promoter and events organizer David Jones knew he had to do something to honour the great soul singer. The result is the benefit concert So Amazing: A Tribute to the Legendary Luther Vandross.

“The Quebec Heart and Stroke Foundation seemed like a fitting cause,” says Jones, “and I thought it would be a good way to pay tribute to Luther and at the same time raise money for a great organization. So I approached the foundation with the idea and they were elated at the prospect of doing it.”

Once he had the concept in place, Jones tapped local R&B singer Danny Blanco, with whom Jones had previously worked for a similar tribute concert a couple of years ago, to do the gig. “I knew that he was a huge Luther fan, so I approached him with the idea and he instantly wanted to do it.”

When Jones asked him to perform at the fundraiser, the singer had his own reasons for getting on board. “There’s a good friend of mine who had a stroke in early December,” says Blanco. “To see him every day, and then to suddenly see him in the hospital and to see how it has affected his general health, it’s made a big impact on me. This is definitely a good cause, and combined with the fact of Luther’s passing, it made perfect sense for me to be involved.”

Montreal-born Blanco started performing professionally in the late ’80s at Montreal’s legendary Checkers nightclub. Since then, he’s had a starring role in the Canadian production of Rent alongside a certain Ms. Jill Scott, and just recently sang backup vocals for Patti Labelle, the Neville Brothers and Deborah Cox, among others, at last summer’s Voices of Soul jazz fest show. Raised in a musical environment, Blanco has been at it since square one. “My mother used to be a singer. My father is a trumpet player. My step-dad is also a guitarist and singer. And I’ve been singing since I was a kid.”

Doing a musical tribute to a singer who has been so important in his life is something Blanco is particularly enthusiastic about. “[Vandross] represents a big portion of my youth. I mean, we’re talking about even the roughest dudes were into Luther, that’s how deep to the core he got. He was an original and he was one of the greatest voices ever.”

With the passing of soul greats like Barry White, Lou Rawls and Wilson Pickett, Blanco admits that a golden period of music is passing away. Vandross’s stroke, especially, hit home.

“It’s the end of an era. I think he’s one of the last great crooners of our time. And we’re cheated out of what he could have kept bringing to us. He was just as relevant as Stevie is relevant, just as relevant as Patti Labelle is relevant. There are just very few people that are gifted in that way. His legacy is cemented.”

Danny Blanco and the Montreal SoulStars are at Lion d’Or on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 6 p.m., $25

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