American soul singer Luther Vandross has died at the age of 54, two years after suffering a major stroke.
One of the leading romantic singers of his generation, he sold 25 million albums and won dozens of awards.

Even after his stroke in 2003, he kept recording, winning four Grammys for his final album Dance With My Father.

Tributes from stars such as Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson poured in after his death, at the JFK Medical Centre in New Jersey, was announced.

The singer "had a peaceful passing under the watchful eye of friends, family and the medical support team," said hospital spokesman Robert Cavanaugh.

He did not give the cause of death but said the singer had never fully recovered from the stroke he suffered in his Manhattan apartment in April 2003.

His publicist, Jeff O'Conner, said his death was "a huge loss in the R&B industry".

"He was a close friend of mine and right now it's shocking," he was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.

Mr O'Conner said he had received calls of condolence from Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Patti LaBelle and Quincy Jones.

Singer Robert Flack paid tribute to her friend of more than 20 years in a telephone call from Japan.

"He was a musician who couldn't help but give you all he had," she said.

"He was the kind of guy who was born to do what he did musically and let the world know about it. He was not born to keep it smothered in the chest."

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He really was a legend