Fonzi Thornton accepts the Icon Award on behalf of Luther Vandross accepts the Icon Award from Billboard’s Editorial Director Hannah Karp at Billboard’sR&B Hip-Hop Power Players 2024.
Category
🎵
MusicTranscript
00:00For our first award, I want to salute an R&B icon, a late legend whose first six albums all
00:08reached number one on the top R&B hip-hop albums chart. He racked up eight number one albums over
00:15the course of his career, and he also co-produced Aretha Franklin's seven-week number one R&B album
00:22Jump to It, and he's the subject of a wonderful new documentary that will stream wide next year.
00:30Of course, Luther Vandross is no longer with us, but I am so happy that we have his best friend
00:37Fonzie Thornton, a singer and a board member of the Luther Vandross Estate to
00:44accept the Icon Award for Luther tonight. Welcome Fonzie.
01:02How's everybody this evening?
01:05It is such an honor for me to be here tonight and accept this prestigious award
01:10for Luther Vandross, who I've known since I was 14 years old. So I just want to congratulate
01:18Luther, his family, the Vandross Estate, all of his singers, his musicians,
01:22his record company. Thank y'all for honoring my friend, okay?