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Luther: The Life and Longing of Luther Vandross:
"Seymour's brilliant book is like a great Luther song: elegantly written, effortlessly executed and eloquently delivered." - Michael Eric Dyson
"Craig Seymour paints an intimate portrait of the man behind some of the most beautiful love songs of our time...Full of juicy anecdotes, fast-paced writing, and interesting analysis, the book reveals surprising new dimensions of this much-beloved balladeer." - E. Lynn Harris
"...a sympathetic look at the most popular soul singer of his generation" - New York Daily News
On July 1, 2005, the world lost one of the greatest R&B vocalists of all time, Luther Vandross. He left a legacy of some of the most enduring love songs of our age: “Here and Now,” “Superstar,” “If Only For One Night,” and “A House Is Not A Home.”
The notoriously secretive star also left behind many questions such as the real-life inspiration behind all of those yearning love songs.
The newly updated and expanded edition of Luther: The Life and Longing of Luther Vandross takes you deep inside the singer’s private world. It chronicles his underdog journey from the projects of New York City’s Lower East Side to the top of the charts, selling more than 20 million albums along the way. The book details Luther’s triumphs, as well as his struggles: his battle with weight; his feuds with Aretha Franklin, Anita Baker, and En Vogue; the 1986 car accident that killed his best friend and nearly destroyed his career; and the rumors about his sexuality that followed him throughout his life. The book offers specific new details about Luther’s love life that will help illuminate the private pain of the man who brought the world so much joy.
"Craig Seymour paints an intimate portrait of the man behind some of the most beautiful love songs of our time...Full of juicy anecdotes, fast-paced writing, and interesting analysis, the book reveals surprising new dimensions of this much-beloved balladeer." - E. Lynn Harris
"...a sympathetic look at the most popular soul singer of his generation" - New York Daily News
On July 1, 2005, the world lost one of the greatest R&B vocalists of all time, Luther Vandross. He left a legacy of some of the most enduring love songs of our age: “Here and Now,” “Superstar,” “If Only For One Night,” and “A House Is Not A Home.”
The notoriously secretive star also left behind many questions such as the real-life inspiration behind all of those yearning love songs.
The newly updated and expanded edition of Luther: The Life and Longing of Luther Vandross takes you deep inside the singer’s private world. It chronicles his underdog journey from the projects of New York City’s Lower East Side to the top of the charts, selling more than 20 million albums along the way. The book details Luther’s triumphs, as well as his struggles: his battle with weight; his feuds with Aretha Franklin, Anita Baker, and En Vogue; the 1986 car accident that killed his best friend and nearly destroyed his career; and the rumors about his sexuality that followed him throughout his life. The book offers specific new details about Luther’s love life that will help illuminate the private pain of the man who brought the world so much joy.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2004
304 people are currently reading
405 people want to read
About the author
Craig Seymour
5 books21 followersCraig Seymour is a professor of English at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. A well-regarded writer and photographer, he is the author of Luther: The Life and Longing of Luther Vandross and has contributed numerous articles to The Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, Vibe, and other publications. He holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Maryland, College Park.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
February 8, 2015
A must read for all Luther and R&B fans.
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July 27, 2017I really enjoyed this read, and I learned so much about Luther I didn't know. I just wish he had been able to enjoy his success more. If the book is accurate, his biggest dream was to have a number one pop chart hit. His dream was finally realized, but by then he had had a stroke and was not even able to attend the Grammy's to receive his award. There were a lot of interesting stories and revelations in the book. At one point in college he told people Dionne Warwick was his sister. He was that infatuated with her singing style. He idolized Aretha Franklin. They also had a major fight. He also had bitter disagreements with Anita Baker, but toward the end of his life he had rekindled those relationships. David Bowie gave him his first major break. He was famous for doing countless commercial jingles and made a ton of money doing so. He used food like a drug and his up and down weight loss fueled rumors that he had contracted AIDS many times. He lost all his siblings to Diabetes, his father as well and his mother after his death. I thank God for giving us Luther and the music he has left behind. I wish he could have found the love he so longed for. I believe in death he found the ultimate love in the hands of the Creator.
July 22, 2021
Top 5 Favorite Luther Songs
1. Don't You Know That?
2. A House Is Not A Home
3. Superstar
4. Bad Boy/ Having A Party
5. If This World Were Mine
My late great mother LOVED Luther Vandross! My mother loved Luther so much that she fell in love with my father because he looked like Luther(Little Luther not Big Luther). So I grew up listening to Luther and in fact was conceived to a Luther song I'm not going to say which one but just know that I wish I didn't have this information.
Luther Vandross may not be very well known outside of the Black community but within the Black community he is a legend. Luther songs get played at weddings, funerals, cookouts, birthday parties literally everywhere and for any occasion. Luther is basically a member of everyone's family.
In this biography which my copy(my mom's copy) of the book was released before Luther's sad death in 2005. The book opens and closes with Luther having recently suffered a stroke caused by diabetes. Normally I hate it when I've read a biography and still not learned much about the subject. But with Luther it didn't bother me, because even those closest to Luther didn't know that much about his life.
Was he gay?
Was he asexual?
Did he die a virgin?
Was he clinically depressed?
Did he have AIDS?
Nobody will ever know.
Luther was never romantically connected to anyone publicly. And even when he talked about being in love he never gave any information about the person including their gender. For his entire career he was followed by rumors that he was gay and every time he lost weight it was suspected that he had AIDS.
Truly my mother never cared about Luther's sexuality. She just loved him. He always seemed like a nice if demanding person in his interviews and his music always made my mother feel better. We played and sang Luther songs to my mother as she lay dying.
And I think the majority of Luther's fans felt the same way. Did they probably assume he was gay? Yay! Did that affect their love of his music? Nope!
Reading this book made me feel so sad for Luther. He made so many people happy with his music. He brought so many couples together with his music but he never experienced those things. The Luther Vandross described in this book was a sad and extremely lonely person who wanted to find love but never did. Instead he turned to food to make himself feel better. Luther's battle with weight is almost as legendary as his music. He weighed anywhere from over 300 pounds to 150 pounds and often his weigh losses and gains where fast. I'm sure his yo yo dieting played into his diabetes and later his death from a stroke related complications.
Luther Vandross was and is a legend. Growing up I made fun of my mother for listening to Luther but as an adult I keep him in rotation. And I always know when my father is missing my mother because he'll be playing Luther...and he doesn't even like Luther's music. I recommend this book to Luther lovers. If you grow up listening to him or discovered him on your own. I think this book will give a little glimpse into the life of the man who is literally responsible for my existence...great now I'm thinking about my parents having sex.
This review is over!
1. Don't You Know That?
2. A House Is Not A Home
3. Superstar
4. Bad Boy/ Having A Party
5. If This World Were Mine
My late great mother LOVED Luther Vandross! My mother loved Luther so much that she fell in love with my father because he looked like Luther(Little Luther not Big Luther). So I grew up listening to Luther and in fact was conceived to a Luther song I'm not going to say which one but just know that I wish I didn't have this information.
Luther Vandross may not be very well known outside of the Black community but within the Black community he is a legend. Luther songs get played at weddings, funerals, cookouts, birthday parties literally everywhere and for any occasion. Luther is basically a member of everyone's family.
In this biography which my copy(my mom's copy) of the book was released before Luther's sad death in 2005. The book opens and closes with Luther having recently suffered a stroke caused by diabetes. Normally I hate it when I've read a biography and still not learned much about the subject. But with Luther it didn't bother me, because even those closest to Luther didn't know that much about his life.
Was he gay?
Was he asexual?
Did he die a virgin?
Was he clinically depressed?
Did he have AIDS?
Nobody will ever know.
Luther was never romantically connected to anyone publicly. And even when he talked about being in love he never gave any information about the person including their gender. For his entire career he was followed by rumors that he was gay and every time he lost weight it was suspected that he had AIDS.
Truly my mother never cared about Luther's sexuality. She just loved him. He always seemed like a nice if demanding person in his interviews and his music always made my mother feel better. We played and sang Luther songs to my mother as she lay dying.
And I think the majority of Luther's fans felt the same way. Did they probably assume he was gay? Yay! Did that affect their love of his music? Nope!
Reading this book made me feel so sad for Luther. He made so many people happy with his music. He brought so many couples together with his music but he never experienced those things. The Luther Vandross described in this book was a sad and extremely lonely person who wanted to find love but never did. Instead he turned to food to make himself feel better. Luther's battle with weight is almost as legendary as his music. He weighed anywhere from over 300 pounds to 150 pounds and often his weigh losses and gains where fast. I'm sure his yo yo dieting played into his diabetes and later his death from a stroke related complications.
Luther Vandross was and is a legend. Growing up I made fun of my mother for listening to Luther but as an adult I keep him in rotation. And I always know when my father is missing my mother because he'll be playing Luther...and he doesn't even like Luther's music. I recommend this book to Luther lovers. If you grow up listening to him or discovered him on your own. I think this book will give a little glimpse into the life of the man who is literally responsible for my existence...great now I'm thinking about my parents having sex.
This review is over!
March 2, 2011
With this book being the only in-depth/almost-tell-all account about the mystery man himself, we should all be so lucky to get a glimpse into both his talent and his drive to succeed and be perfect in his craft.
Luther has influenced many a generation in both singing and songwriting and to get an insight on who he was on and off stage is a rare treat and one that should propel those who are choosing to enter the entertainment business to open their eyes to what it is all about. It;s 10% entertainment and 90% business. Luther has been both an outsider and an insider to this rare vehicle that we call showbiz.
With Luther being my main man, inspiration and Muse for doing what I do, I have gotten to know him more and why he is who he is; why he prefers his privacy and why he feels so strongly about it.
Because it's all about the music.....no more, no less....
or as per his song on his album.... Because it's Really Love.....
Luther has influenced many a generation in both singing and songwriting and to get an insight on who he was on and off stage is a rare treat and one that should propel those who are choosing to enter the entertainment business to open their eyes to what it is all about. It;s 10% entertainment and 90% business. Luther has been both an outsider and an insider to this rare vehicle that we call showbiz.
With Luther being my main man, inspiration and Muse for doing what I do, I have gotten to know him more and why he is who he is; why he prefers his privacy and why he feels so strongly about it.
Because it's all about the music.....no more, no less....
or as per his song on his album.... Because it's Really Love.....
November 2, 2019
Wow, what an immensely sad biography. I love Luther but I would not have thought that he was such a pained individual. I will say that the Taurus in me SEES the Taurus in him for sure 💚💚💚.
I was pleased to know that he was a perfectionist and I get it, we Taurus’ tend to do the leg work to find the best route and expect that route to be taken PERIOD! There are many many things that I did not know and found gratitude in learning new things about the greats. I did not know that father Hathaway committed suicide like OMG as well as his famed drummer, I know that crushed Luther deeply to the core— I just know it! Friends are like family to us stubborn bulls. Overall, I’m glad I got a closer look into the life of the Velvet Voice, man there will truly never be another.
I was pleased to know that he was a perfectionist and I get it, we Taurus’ tend to do the leg work to find the best route and expect that route to be taken PERIOD! There are many many things that I did not know and found gratitude in learning new things about the greats. I did not know that father Hathaway committed suicide like OMG as well as his famed drummer, I know that crushed Luther deeply to the core— I just know it! Friends are like family to us stubborn bulls. Overall, I’m glad I got a closer look into the life of the Velvet Voice, man there will truly never be another.
July 28, 2008
Vandross (like fellow r&b singers Smokey Robinson and Teddy Pendergrass) was a national treasure. And like Sinatra, the man was truly gifted when it came to phrasing a lyric. His range was phenominal--and the emotion (such as in "Dance With My Father") he put into a song made him a favorite.
This book gives the reader insight into his humble beginnings and his steady rise to fame. He set out to be a composer and backup singer, but his voice made it apparent to those in the music business that he was destined for a solo career.
A great book for all r&b fans!
This book gives the reader insight into his humble beginnings and his steady rise to fame. He set out to be a composer and backup singer, but his voice made it apparent to those in the music business that he was destined for a solo career.
A great book for all r&b fans!
February 20, 2015
YASSSSS YASSS YASSS
YASSSS HUNNIE..... I LIVED FOR THIS LUTHER IS FUCKING HILARIOUS BUT HERE IN THE BOOK WE GET TO PUT THE 2 AND 2'S TOGETHER. HE'S MISSED VERY VERY DEARLY R.I.P. LUTHER
YASSSS HUNNIE..... I LIVED FOR THIS LUTHER IS FUCKING HILARIOUS BUT HERE IN THE BOOK WE GET TO PUT THE 2 AND 2'S TOGETHER. HE'S MISSED VERY VERY DEARLY R.I.P. LUTHER
January 15, 2015
This was a great truthful read.
I give the book a 4 star.
You could feel the character, his ups and downs.
The love he had for his craft. He was honest, rather good or bad. The love he had for his family and friends.
The person he was. I love the story!
I give the book a 4 star.
You could feel the character, his ups and downs.
The love he had for his craft. He was honest, rather good or bad. The love he had for his family and friends.
The person he was. I love the story!
November 9, 2021
Ummmm ok I feel like I learned a lot about Luther’s career and a little bit about his personality but I didn’t really learn anything about him. While I know more about him now I don’t have a better understanding of who he was. It also seems most of this could have been written without even having a conversation with Luther vs Aretha Franklin’s biography RESPECT which did a lot of research not just in documents but interviews with people that knew her to paint a more complete, nuanced story. This just felt like a really long Sister 2 Sister article
August 3, 2021
i gave it 3 stars simply because I did learn something from reading.
i felt the writer was being to nice. if that makes sense, he continuously repeated that Luther did not drink, do drugs and that Luther never revealed the gender of any of his lovers. Number one no one in the industry is squeaky clean and this includes Luther. The things the writer included in the book, Luther's likes, preferences you can clearly see what Luther's sexuality was from animal print fitted pants, television preference, dialect and words he used and more.
I just wished the writer used a bolder approach at writing this biography. It sucks that he did not receive his achievements until he was near the end of his life, but hey that's life.
Overall just an okay, read.
i felt the writer was being to nice. if that makes sense, he continuously repeated that Luther did not drink, do drugs and that Luther never revealed the gender of any of his lovers. Number one no one in the industry is squeaky clean and this includes Luther. The things the writer included in the book, Luther's likes, preferences you can clearly see what Luther's sexuality was from animal print fitted pants, television preference, dialect and words he used and more.
I just wished the writer used a bolder approach at writing this biography. It sucks that he did not receive his achievements until he was near the end of his life, but hey that's life.
Overall just an okay, read.
April 24, 2022
Interesting read
I was it sure what to expect when I purchased this book but I was not disappointed once I started reading it. Luther Vandross was a private but interesting man. What a journey! His music still lives on.
I am a big fan of Luther.
Loved the book.
I was it sure what to expect when I purchased this book but I was not disappointed once I started reading it. Luther Vandross was a private but interesting man. What a journey! His music still lives on.
I am a big fan of Luther.
Loved the book.
September 4, 2013
"This biography was a cheap find at the grocery store (free with a charity donation). Since it was written just prior to Vandross’ death in 2005, the hopeful note it strikes at the end seems a bit off, but otherwise it was a good examination of one of contemporary R&B’s finest performers. Seymour recounts the singer’s life from his years as a shy and overweight but music crazy kid to being a consummate arranger and backup singer in the ’70s New York music scene to solo stardom and his never fulfilled quest for lasting companionship. The subject of Vandross’ covert gayness is constantly alluded to but never dwelt upon, which oddly comes out in the book’s favor. Even if his writing style tends towards the pat and simple, I liked Seymour’s restraint and his admiration of the subject is obvious. A sense of total professionalism defined Luther’s career, and yet I also found myself identifying with the man consuming himself with work as a way of avoiding personal relationships. Another thing he yearned for and never got was a number one pop hit single, which surprised me at first. After listening to a greatest hits package covering his 1981-94 output, though, clues emerged as to why that chart topper eluded him. Although his voice is smooth and among the best of that era, his arrangements lacked a certain spark. Probably the most valuable part of this book is the discography of not only everything Vandross recorded, but his production, arranging and backup singing duties for other artists as well (this continued well after he found success in his own right)." - Scrubbles.net review, November 9, 2010.
December 9, 2011
Here is another musical genius that I loved and respected, and still do to this day! I was blessed to see Luther perform live 4 times, when he came to my city, and every show was spectacular.
This book was great to read, but hurt my soul because I'm still saddened by his untimely death. A voice like Luther's only comes once in a lifetime, and I don't think we will ever have another Luther again, at least not in my lifetime.
Not only was he talented vocally, but his writing was equally as strong. I remember hearing Luther's voice in so many commercials, well before he became the "Luuuuther" we all knew and loved. This is one biography that touched me deeply, and I will listen to Luther's music forever!
This book gives an indepth view of the life and loves of Luther Vandross. Boy do I miss him! What a Musical Talent! He's made a difference in my life!
This book was great to read, but hurt my soul because I'm still saddened by his untimely death. A voice like Luther's only comes once in a lifetime, and I don't think we will ever have another Luther again, at least not in my lifetime.
Not only was he talented vocally, but his writing was equally as strong. I remember hearing Luther's voice in so many commercials, well before he became the "Luuuuther" we all knew and loved. This is one biography that touched me deeply, and I will listen to Luther's music forever!
This book gives an indepth view of the life and loves of Luther Vandross. Boy do I miss him! What a Musical Talent! He's made a difference in my life!
September 2, 2018
I loved listening to this! I've always loved Luther's voice, but never really knew much about him. It's always so fascinating to learn about someone who created such great music, great words, great experiences, to so many millions of people. I mean to reach people in that way, in a lasting, stick-with-you-forever way... that's something truly special. But, usually the wonderful words written and sung by so many great performers, are born from pain, suffering, longing, anguish. I too always aim to please, mostly at my own expense, and know how it can be both a blessing and a burden. What a revealing piece on Mr. Vandross, it's been a pleasure to listen to this, loved the writing and narration :)
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
October 24, 2009
Almost finished with this, but it's an excellent read inside the world of LV. Brother was one of my favorite entertainers and one the greatest vocalist, vocal arranger, songwriter and producer EVER. The don't make 'em like LV anymore. Brought me back down memory lane and all the concerts each and every year I attended for ten years straight each and every time he toured. A special read for me.
July 10, 2015
Made Me Cry
I am not impressed with some of the "diva-like" behavior of Luther, but, I had no idea of the contributions he made to music, from his jingles, background singing and the passion that he wanted to express in his music.
Not many people get to develop close friendships with their idols. He did. Bless you Luther. I plan to listen to your songs with a different ear, now.
I am not impressed with some of the "diva-like" behavior of Luther, but, I had no idea of the contributions he made to music, from his jingles, background singing and the passion that he wanted to express in his music.
Not many people get to develop close friendships with their idols. He did. Bless you Luther. I plan to listen to your songs with a different ear, now.
October 3, 2015
A great read. Luther was a complicated Man and private man. It's a true representation of Luther's sad lonely life.
He was always looking for that special love of his life. He was a musical genius. A mama's boy. Great read!
He was always looking for that special love of his life. He was a musical genius. A mama's boy. Great read!
July 15, 2018
Interesting read about Luther.
An artist we all miss even 14 years after his death. The writer did a good job of providing insight into the struggle of Luther trying to make it to the top as well as what we all knew about Luther, trying to maintain weight loss.
An artist we all miss even 14 years after his death. The writer did a good job of providing insight into the struggle of Luther trying to make it to the top as well as what we all knew about Luther, trying to maintain weight loss.
February 18, 2019
Excellent
This book is good and dad at other times but it's about a life of a superstar who is definitely missed.
This book is good and dad at other times but it's about a life of a superstar who is definitely missed.
January 30, 2021
We all know why you picked up this book. It's the same reason I picked up this book. What juicy tell all details do we get to hear about this the very private life of Luther Vandross.
Well, folks, be prepared because not a single truth that you couldn't have found out in a Wikipedia article will be found in this biography.
You will find out some fun facts about David Bowie, Bette Midler, Aretha Franklin, Donnie Hathaway, Roberta Flack, En Vogue, Dionne Warwick, Mariah Carey, Anita Baker, Cissy and Whitney Houston...buuut, not too much more about Luther.
Hate to disappoint you, but no mysterious lovers pop out of the woodwork and discuss his great, great struggles with his sexuality.
What IS good about this book is that it reads more like a Eulogy than a biography and that's okay. By the end, I felt real sympathy for his losses and admired the beauty in this life that he was so lucky to have experienced. I would recommend...
But don't expect any big revelations about his sexuality.
Well, folks, be prepared because not a single truth that you couldn't have found out in a Wikipedia article will be found in this biography.
You will find out some fun facts about David Bowie, Bette Midler, Aretha Franklin, Donnie Hathaway, Roberta Flack, En Vogue, Dionne Warwick, Mariah Carey, Anita Baker, Cissy and Whitney Houston...buuut, not too much more about Luther.
Hate to disappoint you, but no mysterious lovers pop out of the woodwork and discuss his great, great struggles with his sexuality.
What IS good about this book is that it reads more like a Eulogy than a biography and that's okay. By the end, I felt real sympathy for his losses and admired the beauty in this life that he was so lucky to have experienced. I would recommend...
But don't expect any big revelations about his sexuality.
December 31, 2025
A really well done biography. I loved the behind the scenes of the music. The failed starts and years of effort it took to become Luther Vandross. The collaborations that catapulted him to millions of records sold and the shortcomings from perfectionism and diva behavior that made him imperfectly human. It was this humanness or accessibility that made his music great. His ability to write about love, loneliness and yearning in ways that so many people can relate to. It still breaks my heart that he didn't receive the romantic love he so deeply yearned for but I am happy he got that pop chart number 1 he so deserved.
August 5, 2021
Heartbreak 💔 the beginning and ending of this book left my heart shattered. Listening to Luther always puts me in a special mood. It’s not just his voice, it’s the arrangements and the instruments and how it all blended into something really special. Luther was and always will be one of the greatest. RIP
Read
December 11, 2019Luther was an old soul and a righteous diva who unfortunately didn't find much love in his life. Such a tragic irony since he sang about the topic so passionately.
Fantastic that Craig Seymour gave Luther eternity by writing his life story. Bravo!
Fantastic that Craig Seymour gave Luther eternity by writing his life story. Bravo!
December 7, 2023
This is just like Luther’s life beautiful music but nothing about his private life , I did not get to know him.
October 17, 2017
Great read
It was interesting reading about his yearning for what he considered to be greatness. Proof that you can have "it all" and not be satisfied. I remember his final interview with Oprah where he lamented that he brought the stroke on himself and seriously regretted that. Hopefully that is a wake up call to others to take care of themselves and not ignore warning signs.
It was interesting reading about his yearning for what he considered to be greatness. Proof that you can have "it all" and not be satisfied. I remember his final interview with Oprah where he lamented that he brought the stroke on himself and seriously regretted that. Hopefully that is a wake up call to others to take care of themselves and not ignore warning signs.
June 25, 2008
This book might interest those who enjoy Luther's singing; but it did not seem to have a lot of substance to it and he seemed somewhat selfish and self centered; not a person I might learn something from.
Want to read
January 30, 2009While I admire his beautiful voice, my interests in Luther Vandross lie in his relationship (MUSICAL, that is) with Jimmy Salvemini, who I think is one of the best vocalists "out there".
http://www.myspace.com/jimmysalvemini
http://www.myspace.com/jimmysalvemini
May 30, 2015
Nothing is better
Luther Vandross was indeed a private person. He safeguarded his secrets that in this tale, there were no revelations. This book read like a public record review. It drives home the truth of Luther's words "there's nothing better than love".
Luther Vandross was indeed a private person. He safeguarded his secrets that in this tale, there were no revelations. This book read like a public record review. It drives home the truth of Luther's words "there's nothing better than love".
July 6, 2015
I did not know that Luther produced, did back up singing and did commercial jingles for so many established performers and popular commercials. Now, I REALLY grew an appreciation for this man, and I'm sorry he left us before his time. And, I'm only up to about 30% of the ebook!
May 1, 2017
I loved the book!
Well written with a nice flow. I enjoyed the pace of the stories and how most of the book chronicles Luther's many demons. It was sad to see the pain and loneliness of his live.
Well written with a nice flow. I enjoyed the pace of the stories and how most of the book chronicles Luther's many demons. It was sad to see the pain and loneliness of his live.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews