Luther Vandross Birthday: Freddie Jackson Says Fallen Legend Is ‘Still Winning’

Today (April 20) would have been Luther Vandross' 61st birthday, and in honor of the 30-time Grammy nominated singer-songwriter and producer, who died of a heart attack in 2005, close friend Freddy Jackson has shared his memories of his friendly competition with Luther.

"I taught him everything he knew," Freddie jokes in the Urban Daily clip. "We used to have fun with it, and it kept us motivated to be the best. Now I don't have nobody to play with, I'm all by myself, and I'm kicking everybody's behind!"

Jackson went on to reveal that the two would enact staged feuds at parties, to play off their assumed rivalry, but that even in death, Luther is still "winning."

"I have the utmost respect for Luther Vandross, first of all, because he was the consummate artist, and today it's still living," Jackson explains. "I get Luther on my radio more than I get Freddie, and I'm like, you know, 'he's still winning!' When you do what you do good, it's supposed to never die. The body might, but what you do will live on far beyond you. He will ever live in my soul and in my music, and when I go into the studio I think sometimes, how would Luther have done it? I'm just not the only one, I'm the only one that admits it."

Happy birthday, Luther.