Fonzi Thornton accepts the Icon Award on behalf of Luther Vandross accepts the Icon Award from Billboard’s Editorial Director Hannah Karp at Billboard’s R&B Hip-Hop Power Players 2024.
Hannah Karp:
For our first award, I want to salute an R&B icon, a late legend whose first six albums all reached number one on the Top R&B Hip Hop Albums Chart. He racked up eight number one albums over the course of his career, and he also co-produced Aretha Franklin’s seven week No. 1 R&B album ‘Jump To It,’ and he’s the subject of a wonderful new documentary that will stream wide next year. Of course, Luther Vandross is no longer with us, but I am so happy that we have his best friend, Fonzie Thornton, a singer and a board member of the Luther Vandross estate to accept the Icon Award for Luther tonight. Welcome Fonzi.
Fonzi Thornton:
How’s everybody this evening? It is such an honor for me to be here tonight and accept this prestigious award for Luther Vandross, who I have known since I was 14 years old. So I just want to congratulate Luther, his family, the Vandross estate, all of his singers, his musicians, his record company, thank you all for honoring my friend.