Luther Vandross (1951-2005) was a Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter. Early in his career, Vandross was a member of the group Listen My Brother and appeared with them on Sesame Street, notably singing lead vocals on "You Gotta Learn."
In 1986, Vandross worked with David Bowie on Labyrinth, contributing backing vocals to the end title version of "Underground." Vandross had previously co-written the song "Fascination" for Bowie's Young Americans album, for which he sang background vocals and performed with him on tour.
Vandross appeared alongside Elmo on The Rosie O'Donnell Show in December 1999, performing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" with Elmo and Rosie O'Donnell.
Vandross also sang backup for Diana Ross and wrote the song "Everybody Rejoice" for the Broadway musical The Wiz, in addition to a long career as a solo performer. His few forays into acting included a cameo in the film Meteor Man and a guest spot on Touched by an Angel.
The Google Doodle logo for April 20, 2021, "Celebrating Luther Vandross's 70th Birthday," linked to a specially created YouTube video, briefly featuring an illustration of Vandross appearing alongside Big Bird on Sesame Street. (YouTube)