Tough day. The news of Luther’s passing…wow! I grew up during a generation when slow dancing, courting and great love songs were important to the rite of passage. Smokey... The Dramatics… Barry White… O'Jays... The Whispers... Luther… Their music was the language of love. Their lyrics made holding hands seem special. Songs more about the nuances of love; not love making. Almost every important moment in my life is tied to a love song.

Big or small, I loved to hear Luther. So many great songs! Other Side of the World... Promise Me... Any Love... For Ever, For Always, For Love... When Luther put his spin on songs like Always and Forever and If This World Were Mine, they were never quite the same.

I had an opportunity to photograph Luther the last time that he performed in the Los Angeles area at the Verizon Amphitheater in Irvine. What a performer.