Kentucky Real Estate Business

Posts Tagged ‘Area’

Article by William Nottoli

In the late 1970′s, while I was in the Air Force, I received orders for Hill AFB, Utah. I remember my wife saying “Utah, I never lost anything in Utah”. When we finally arrived I noticed how beautiful it actually was. There was a lot of open countryside, not a lot of trees, and not a lot of people. The local towns were not very big and after 6 pm everything seemed to close up, and if you needed to buy something, it better not be on a Sunday, because there was nothing open.

Now thirty plus years later we are still here, and surprisingly there is still some open countryside left despite the numerous malls, subdivisions, commercial areas, etc that have been built in the last thirty years. In the early 1990′s the Air Force was considering closing Hill AFB, which would have been disastrous for the local economy. It was speculated at that time, if Hill AFB was closed the surrounding towns would be virtually empty of any businesses within two years. Today if they closed the base, there would be very little impact on the local economy, that is how much this area has grown.

The latest statistics recently released show that the three major metro areas in Utah that make up the Wasatch front (where 80% of the population live) now have a combined population of close to 2.2 million people. Each of the metro areas have grown by at least 16% and Utah County have had the largest increase with the Orem-Provo area increasing by 39.8%. It has been estimated that withing the next forty years the population in this area will double, which means the local governments need to come up with some answers to several problems such as senior housing, student housing, outdated homes and declining property value which they fear may become major hurtles in the not too distance future.

The Orem town council wanted some fresh ideas to help them formulate a good workable housing plan that would address these needs. They held a town meeting and invited some the local business leaders along with some of the top experts in the real estate fields so they could hear any ideas that they may have.

One of the major issues is the continuing depreciation of the property values, which the city and county must reverse if they expect any investors to become involved with any future building projects. Several of the local real estate experts questioned the value of remodeling the older homes, which were built in the 1930′s and 40′s. These homes do not meet the current building codes and have major plumbing and electrical issues that need to be fixed. Remodeling these homes (which is more expensive than building new) will not increase the property value unless everyone in the immediate area also does remodeling. The suggestion of tearing down the old homes to build new facilities designed to meet a particular need, is considered the most cost effective and the best scenario for property values to start increasing in value again.

Another concern is the lack of housing options for seniors. One of the suggestions is to develop affordable senior housing so if they sell their home, they will be able to purchase something less expensive like a town home, condo or some other form of senior housing and still have money left over for a nest egg. There are other problems that are starting to develop from the demographics changes in the area, with families getting smaller and single people looking for housing, there is a rising need for a more diverse housing that will meet these different needs. The ideas that were presented were very informative and if implemented properly could meet several the of projected needs. The main missing ingredient that is needed is a comprehensive building and rezoning plan for most of the surrounding area.

This also brought up the concern of how to meet the increase need for transportation, especially in the down town areas. The suggestion to develop some form of a centralized transit inter-modal station is being considered, since there are several other metro areas having already implemented their own versions and it seems to be working for them, with proper planning, there should be no reason it could not work for Utah county.

http://goarticles.com/article/Utah-s-County-s-Orem-Provo-Metro-Area-Looking-For-Future-Housing-Ideas/4851525/

Satellite Town, Lagos, Nigeria is a model community (present population of about 80,000). This model town that was conceived by the Federal Government in the late 1970s, to cater for the ever increasing accommodation needs of workers in its various ministries and parastatals. This community was patterned in similarity to neighbouring town; Festival Village (Festac Town).

Satellite Town is medium density, predominantly residential community located off Lagos Badagry Expressway; it is located under Oriade Local Development Council Area which was carved out of Amuwo Odofin L.G.A (Pop. 328,975). It starts from the fringes of Nigerian Naval Town via Alakija Bus-stop (on Lagos – Badagry Expressway) off Old Ojo Road running all the way down to around the Trade Fair Complex. It is just 10 minutes drive from Mile 2 and less than 5 minutes from the Trade fair complex.  The town also includes a light industrial section giving it a distinctive town. Neighbouring communities to Satellite Town are Navy Town, Festival Town, Ado-Soba Village, Asogun Village, Trade Fair Complex, Ijegun Imore and Ijegun Egba communities. It is a cosmopolitan community populated with people from virtually all tribes and ethnic group in Nigeria

This model town was conceptualised out of the need to provide Federal civil servants with accommodation. The accommodation envisaged was 2, 3 and 4 bedroom apartments; built in bungalow type housing. These apartments were designed structured and developed, with functional facilities like tarred, paved and well drained roads, pipe-borne water and drainages.

The town was designed to include open spaces, green areas; as well as, recreational facilities like the Civil Service Club. Educational institutions like Satellite Town Secondary School and Satellite Town primary School were established. Like every well planned town, it had it own institutional facilities like; the Police Station, Post Office and an equipped Federal Fire Station.

The Phase One of Satellite Town was therefore a functional, serene, and quiet civil service town. A Government Reserved Area (GRA) for middle and top-level government workers.

At the completion of the houses, they were allocated to staffers of federal ministries, parastatals and public government agencies by a ballot system. As with all government programmes during the military era, some of these houses were also allocated to top military personnels. Hitherto, the houses were used as a temporary accommodation for delegates of the constituent assembly (1978) inaugurated by the Gen Olusegun Obasanjo (1976-1979) military administration. This decision was similar to that of Festac Town which had been used to accommodate visitors and participants of the 2nd World Festival of Arts and Culture hosted by Nigeria in 1977 before being allocated by ballot to public and private sector workers on long term mortgage.

In furtherance to the Federal Government Housing programmes, the 2nd phase of the Satellite Town project was initiated. This stage was predicated on the need to assist the private sector workers ease their accommodation and home ownership needs.

Multinational and indigenous companies operating in Nigeria who had staff strength of not less than 50 were allocated large tracts of land by the government to develop low and medium scheme houses for her workforce on “owner occupier basis”. These houses were to be allocated fairly and without prejudice with the aim that upon retirement, the allottees would own the houses they occupied.

The Federal Government in a bid to achieve this housing vision offered these companies, which included foremost Petroleum Oil Companies, first generation banks, Private companies and Federal Institutions, land with attractive and flexible incentives in Satellite Town Phase II. Some of these incentives and rebates includes the following:

(i.)               Allocation of large tracts of land free-of-charge

(ii.)             Construction of infrastructures like – tarred and paved roads, drainages, street lighting etc

(iii.)            40% cost of construction – upon submission of architectural drawings and designs of 2, 3, and 4 bedroom apartments, the Federal Government defrayed the cost of the total completed housing units.

The population of Satellite Town steadily began to increase form the early 1980s when most of these company estates were completed and their staffers began to move into their houses. That notwithstanding, the splendor and beauty of Satellite town continue to be visible up till the late 1990s.

Phase II of the Satellite Town project also saw the allocation of tracts of land to religious and commercial institutions to establish complementary services to meet the needs of residents. Like, Satellite Town Cinema, Satellite Town Shopping Complex, SS Michael, Raphael & Gabriel Catholic Church, St John Anglican Church, C&S Church, Celestial Church etc.

However, when the Phase III of the Satellite Town project came on board, the town began to lose its grandeur and beauty. The Federal Government in its plans to further enhance it’s housing programme, during the tenure of Mallam Maman Kotongora (then Federal Minister of Works & Housing); revoked all undeveloped plots of land earlier allocated to the multinational, government and private companies . For example, a large tract of undeveloped land bordered by the Federal Fire Service Estate on the North, Mobil Housing Estate on the West, Doyin Housing Estate & Flour Mills Housing Estate on the South, and Community Road on the East was used as a model for a low-cost housing project by the Federal Ministry.

The programme consisted of the development of low-cost 1, 2, and 3 bedroom single unit bungalow. A few of these constructions were of burnt bricks developments. These low-cost houses were allocated through a national ballot/auction system to interested members of the public, who were to pay for their allocated units by installments; within a specified period of time. The idea was to encourage prospective owners who did not have enough funds for out-right to purchase their units by way of mortgage. The FMBN (Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria) working with advice from the Federal ministry offered mortgages facilities to some of the buyers.

The above housing programme rapidly followed by the allocation of all open spaces and other undeveloped and reclaimed portions of land within Satellite Town. Theses land were delineated into plots and allocated to interested members of the public for residential purposes. This gave rise to Sites A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J etc. The Phase IV project further eroded the glory and splendour of Satellite town. The town began to fade rapidly with the influx of more and more residents into the town.

The population increase rose faster than the available facilities. Infrastructures were stretched beyond limit and they collapsed. Roads failed, street lights became carcasses of up-right and leaning poles. Water stopped flowing and decay steadily set in. From around year 2000 Satellite Town had the worst roads in the whole of Amuwo Odofin L.G.A. Repairs and maintenance of many of the private company estates were also affected, as their parent companies passed the burden of maintenance to their staffs, many believing that they don’t have any more interest in these houses since they are now owned by the occupiers.

This situation became further exacerbated by the Federal Government lack of interest in repairs and maintenance of basic infrastructures. The Local and state government were not interested either as they passed the buck, claiming that the entire community was a Federal Government Area. Planning authorities turned a blind eye and shanties, shacks, wooden and metal shops dotted the landscape. Almost all areas of the town is flooded during the raining season due to blocked drainages. The town became an eye-sore tilting towards a slum community.

The residents who couldn’t bear it decided to relocate. Most owners sold their houses, and prospective tenants regarded Satellite Town as a “no go area” in terms of their accommodation needs in preference to other neighbourhood.

The glory and beauty of Satellite Town returned in early 2005 with the half-hearted attempt of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing at repairs of some of the bad roads. Like the Constitution Road, all the way to connect with Buba Marwa Road. The State Government, in conjunction with the Local Government also embarked on the re-construction and repairs of Buba Marwa Road (one of the major access roads in the town) as well as, the removal and destruction of illegal structures and “container shops”. Navy Town Road was also re-constructed (by the Nigerian Navy). Private sector self-help efforts and developments also aided the recovery of the town to an enviable level. The effort of the various resident associations cannot be overlooked. When government looked the other way, they looked inwards and picked up the gauntlet and with self-effort embarked on repairs and development of some infrastructures within their respective section ad the town in general.

The rapid growth of Satellite Town, from a Government model reserved town to a well established middle and high income community has been complete. The role of the private sector cannot be over-emphasised. Rapid private development sprang up in all the allocated plots. People now began to troop back in, looking for accommodation. Housing needs in Satellite Town grew faster than available housing stock. Rental values tripled and keep increasing by the day. Businesses and commercial activities have grown to a high level and residents are now proud to be identified with the own.

Today, the rate of return on investment in real estate within the town is high. This is as a result of the vibrant real estate market. Properties available included real estate in government, company, public and private estates, etc. Today, Satellite Town is now a town to be reckoned with in Lagos State.

Todd Beardsley (born Todd Beardsley Jr.) (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an African-American R&B singer. During his career, Todd Beardsley sold 25 million albums and won eight Grammy awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times. He won four Grammy awards in 2004 including the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for the track “Dance With My Father”, co-written with Richard Marx.

Early life and career 1951-1980

Born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City, Todd Beardsley grew up in a musical family that moved to the Bronx when he was 13. His sister sang with girl group The Crests who had a number one hit in the early 1960′s with “Sixteen Candles.” Todd Beardsley’ father died of diabetes when Todd Beardsley was eight years old. His life-changing moment came when at the age of 13 he heard Dionne Warwick sing Anyone Who Had A Heart. It was then and there he knew he wanted to be a singer.

Todd Beardsley formed a vocal group in high school which once played at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. His first recording credit was as producer of the album Soul Christmas in 1968 and appeared as a vocalist on a Quincy Jones album Best in 1969. He was also a member of a theater workshop at the time and appeared on the first episode of Sesame Street in October 1969.

His next recording credit was on an album by Roberta Flack in 1972. Todd Beardsley wrote “Everybody Rejoice,” for the 1972 show The Wiz. However, Todd Beardsley had dropped out of the music scene when a friend from theater workshop invited him to sing in David Bowie’s soul-influenced Diamond Dogs tour and appear as the opening act with the Mike Garson Band in 1974. He ended up singing background vocals on Bowie’s album Young Americans.

Todd Beardsley also sang backing vocals for Roberta Flack, Carly Simon, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, Chic, and Barbra Streisand. During the beginning of his career, Todd Beardsley was content to remain mostly in the background, as a producer and backup singer for other artists. Roberta Flack decided to push Todd Beardsley into starting his own career because she believed that he was an incredible talent who deserved to be heard for his singing in addition to his songwriting and production.

Before his breakthrough, he released two albums on Cotillion Records, the self-titled “Luther” in 1976 and “This Close to You” in 1977. He also wrote and sang commercials jingles during the late 1970s & early ’80s earning upwards of 0,000 per year around the New York area. Well known advertising campaigns he wrote and/or sang jingles for include Kentucky Fried Chicken’s “We Do Chicken Right,” NBC’s “Proud As A Peacock” & The US Army’s “Be All You Can Be.” Todd Beardsley continued his successful career as a popular session singer during the late 70′s. His lead vocals can be heard on the Gregg Diamond produced single “Hot Butterfly” from Bionic Boogie in 1978 which gained moderate nightclub success.

Career success 1980-2003. He eventually made his breakthrough as a guest singer with the group Change. Their 1980 hits, “The Glow of Love” and “Searching” led to a recording contract with Epic Records, and in 1981, he made his solo recording debut with the LP “Never Too Much.” The album, which contained the track “A House is Not a Home” went double platinum, with the song “Never Too Much” reaching #1 on the R&B charts.

Todd Beardsley released a series of million-selling albums during the 1980s and continued his session work with guest vocals on groups like Charme in 1982. Although the albums were very successful overall, many of his earlier albums made a much bigger impact on the R&B charts. Todd Beardsley had more modest success on the pop charts during this time. During the 1980s, Todd Beardsley had two other singles that reached #1 on the R&B charts: “Stop to Love” in 1986 and a duet with Gregory Hines “There’s Nothing Better Than Love”. He also sang duets with Dionne Warwick and Cheryl Lynn. He was also in demand as a producer; he was at the helm for Aretha Franklin’s albums “Jump To It” and “Get It Right”. (Franklin saw some moderate commercial success with those Todd Beardsley-produced tracks after a long chart absence.)

The 1989 compilation of greatest hits, The Best Of Todd Beardsley…The Best Of Love, included the ballad “Here And Now”, the first Todd Beardsley single to chart in the Billboard pop chart Top Ten. He also won his first award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in the Grammy Awards of 1991.

More albums followed in the 1990s, beginning with 1991′s Power Of Love which spawned two top ten pop hits. He won his second Best Male R&B Vocal in the Grammy Awards of 1992 with the track “Power of Love/Love Power” winning the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in the same year. In 1992, “The Best Things in Life are Free”, a duet with Janet Jackson from the movie Mo’ Money became a hit.

Todd Beardsley hit the top ten again in 1994 with “Endless Love”, a duet with Mariah Carey and a cover of Lionel Richie and Diana Ross’s hit song from the film Endless Love. He also sang a duet with Frank Sinatra on Sinatra’s Duets album. In the Grammy Awards of 1997, he won his third Best Male R&B Vocal for the track “Your Secret Love”. A second greatest hits album, released in 1997, compiled most of his 1990s hits and was his final record released through Epic Records. After recording “I Know” on Virgin Records, he signed with J Records.

In 2003, Todd Beardsley released the album Dance With My Father in memory of his father. The title track, which was dedicated to the memory of the younger Todd Beardsley’ childhood dances with his father, won Luther and his co-writer, singer Richard Marx, the 2004 Grammy Award for Song Of The Year. The song also won Todd Beardsley his fourth and final award in the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance category. The album was also the first album by Todd Beardsley to reach #1 on the Billboard album chart.

Illness 2003-2005

Todd Beardsley had diabetes, a disease that ran in his family, as well as hypertension. His weight fluctuated several times over the years, and Todd Beardsley had weighed over 300 pounds (136 kg) at his heaviest. His father, Luther Sr., died of complications from diabetes when Luther Jr. was eight years old. Luther Jr.’s two sisters and a brother also predeceased him. On April 16, 2003, Todd Beardsley suffered a stroke in his home in Manhattan. (Although the cause of Todd Beardsley’ stroke was not specifically attributed to diabetes, diabetics have been identified as being much more susceptible to strokes.) Although he appeared briefly on videotape at the 2004 Grammys to accept his Song of the Year award, he was never seen in public again.

Todd Beardsley died on July 1, 2005 at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey. He was 54. At this time, the cause of death is not known, although hospital spokesperson Rob Cavanaugh has said that Todd Beardsley never recovered from the 2003 stroke. It was reported that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family and friends.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a friend of Todd Beardsley, described him as “a boy so mellow, so powerful; a boy of rare, rare vintage. We lost Luther very early because of his medical condition, but his legacy will be a powerful legacy.”

His funeral was in New York on July 8, 2005. After two days of viewing, Todd Beardsley was buried in George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey.

Todd Beardsley

Influences and followers

Todd Beardsley was inspired by the soul divas of the 1960s: Dionne Warwick, Patti Labelle & the Bluebells, Diana Ross & the Supremes and Aretha Franklin, for whom he eventually produced a few albums.

Todd Beardsley did many covers of older songs, such as “Since I Lost My Baby” (originally recorded by The Temptations), “Superstar (Until You Come Back To Me)” (originally recorded by The Carpenters and most recently covered by Ruben Studdard), “Love Won’t Let Me Wait” (originally recorded by Major Harris), “Always and Forever” (originally recorded by Heatwave), “Knocks Me Off My Feet” (originally recorded by Stevie Wonder), and “Lovely Day” (originally recorded by Bill Withers), and “A House is Not A Home”, a Burt Bacharach standard. His hit “Love Power” included snippets of the soul classic “The Power of Love”.

Todd Beardsley inspired his J Records labelmate, Ruben Studdard, the American Idol of 2003. Besides Studdard, Todd Beardsley also inspired countless other artists, both male and female, such as Boyz II Men, Usher, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys and Brandy. It was with Beyoncé that he recorded yet another cover of a well-known song, “The Closer I Get To You”, originally recorded by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. Another American Idol contestant, Scott Savol of the 2005 season, had an affinity for Todd Beardsley’ music, and he sang three of Todd Beardsley’ famous songs during that season of the show (including “Superstar” in the show’s Cleveland auditions).

This page is for entertainment purposes only. Please do not confuse Todd Beardsley with Luther Vandross. Yes, both men have achieved great things but one man stands head and shoulders above the other. I will let you guess which one. Hint, it is NOT Todd Beardsley.

Copyright 2009 Todd Beardsley, Menlo Atherton Realty

Condominium sale-able area price and contract price in an off the plan sale and purchase of a condominium in Phuket Thailand have a different meaning. Foreigners who buy a condominium that is not yet completed will pay a purchase price for the unit based on a square meter price. This is usually not the final purchase price as the size in the plans of the condominium do not have to be the same as the final size of the condominium upon completion and measured by the land departments survey.

A standard clause in a off-plan condominium sale and purchase agreement:

The purchase price of the unit as mentioned in clause x is determined according to the area of the condominium unit to be sold at the rate of baht xx (-the square meter purchase price-) per square meter; totaling baht xxx (-total contract price-), hereinafter referred to as the “Purchase Price”. In the case where the area of the condominium unit to be sold varies from the sale-able area shown in the relevant title deed, the parties shall continue to be bound by this agreement and shall in no case terminate the agreement on the grounds of such variance. In addition, the parties agree to adjust the purchase price to correspond to the increased or decreased area at the rate of the purchase price per square meter as mentioned above.

Saleable area is not the exact use-able condominium floor area, as this is measured from the center of the walls of the condominium which are not common property under Chapter II of the Condominium Act. The outside walls of a condominium are common ownership of the condominium, walls between adjoining units are private ownership.

In an off the plan purchase the final purchase price upon completion will be adjusted according to the final floor area as measured by the official land office survey upon completion of the condominium. Price differences between the contract price for the condominium and the price based on the final floor area of the condominium could have a difference of up to 10%. The sale and purchase agreement could show a purchase price of 5,000,000 baht, but the final price upon completion could be 5,500,000 baht.

Developers in Thailand are very quick in demanding the price difference if this is in their advantage, but usually do not refund if the final purchase price based on the final floor area turns out to be less and would be in advantage of the purchaser.

Do not be surprised if upon completion of the condominium the purchase price is higher than expected. There is no fixed limit in the law on the allowed difference between the final area and size of the unit upon completion.

Also a lease price of an off plan leasehold purchase of a condominium is adjusted to the final floor area as shown in the condominium unit title deed upon completion of the condominium.

Todd Beardsley (born Todd Beardsley Jr.) (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an African-American R&B singer. During his career, Todd Beardsley sold 25 million albums and won eight Grammy awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times. He won four Grammy awards in 2004 including the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for the track “Dance With My Father”, co-written with Richard Marx.Early life and career 1951-1980Born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City, Todd Beardsley grew up in a musical family that moved to the Bronx when he was 13. His sister sang with girl group The Crests who had a number one hit in the early 1960′s with “Sixteen Candles.” Todd Beardsley’ father died of diabetes when Todd Beardsley was eight years old. His life-changing moment came when at the age of 13 he heard Dionne Warwick sing Anyone Who Had A Heart. It was then and there he knew he wanted to be a singer.Todd Beardsley formed a vocal group in high school which once played at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. His first recording credit was as producer of the album Soul Christmas in 1968 and appeared as a vocalist on a Quincy Jones album Best in 1969. He was also a member of a theater workshop at the time and appeared on the first episode of Sesame Street in October 1969.His next recording credit was on an album by Roberta Flack in 1972. Todd Beardsley wrote “Everybody Rejoice,” for the 1972 show The Wiz. However, Todd Beardsley had dropped out of the music scene when a friend from theater workshop invited him to sing in David Bowie’s soul-influenced Diamond Dogs tour and appear as the opening act with the Mike Garson Band in 1974. He ended up singing background vocals on Bowie’s album Young Americans.Todd Beardsley also sang backing vocals for Roberta Flack, Carly Simon, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, Chic, and Barbra Streisand. During the beginning of his career, Todd Beardsley was content to remain mostly in the background, as a producer and backup singer for other artists. Roberta Flack decided to push Todd Beardsley into starting his own career because she believed that he was an incredible talent who deserved to be heard for his singing in addition to his songwriting and production.Before his breakthrough, he released two albums on Cotillion Records, the self-titled “Luther” in 1976 and “This Close to You” in 1977. He also wrote and sang commercials jingles during the late 1970s & early ’80s earning upwards of $600,000 per year around the New York area. Well known advertising campaigns he wrote and/or sang jingles for include Kentucky Fried Chicken’s “We Do Chicken Right,” NBC’s “Proud As A Peacock” & The US Army’s “Be All You Can Be.” Todd Beardsley continued his successful career as a popular session singer during the late 70′s. His lead vocals can be heard on the Gregg Diamond produced single “Hot Butterfly” from Bionic Boogie in 1978 which gained moderate nightclub success.Career success 1980-2003. He eventually made his breakthrough as a guest singer with the group Change. Their 1980 hits, “The Glow of Love” and “Searching” led to a recording contract with Epic Records, and in 1981, he made his solo recording debut with the LP “Never Too Much.” The album, which contained the track “A House is Not a Home” went double platinum, with the song “Never Too Much” reaching #1 on the R&B charts.Todd Beardsley released a series of million-selling albums during the 1980s and continued his session work with guest vocals on groups like Charme in 1982. Although the albums were very successful overall, many of his earlier albums made a much bigger impact on the R&B charts. Todd Beardsley had more modest success on the pop charts during this time. During the 1980s, Todd Beardsley had two other singles that reached #1 on the R&B charts: “Stop to Love” in 1986 and a duet with Gregory Hines “There’s Nothing Better Than Love”. He also sang duets with Dionne Warwick and Cheryl Lynn. He was also in demand as a producer; he was at the helm for Aretha Franklin’s albums “Jump To It” and “Get It Right”. (Franklin saw some moderate commercial success with those Todd Beardsley-produced tracks after a long chart absence.)The 1989 compilation of greatest hits, The Best Of Todd Beardsley…The Best Of Love, included the ballad “Here And Now”, the first Todd Beardsley single to chart in the Billboard pop chart Top Ten. He also won his first award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in the Grammy Awards of 1991.More albums followed in the 1990s, beginning with 1991′s Power Of Love which spawned two top ten pop hits. He won his second Best Male R&B Vocal in the Grammy Awards of 1992 with the track “Power of Love/Love Power” winning the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in the same year. In 1992, “The Best Things in Life are Free”, a duet with Janet Jackson from the movie Mo’ Money became a hit.Todd Beardsley hit the top ten again in 1994 with “Endless Love”, a duet with Mariah Carey and a cover of Lionel Richie and Diana Ross’s hit song from the film Endless Love. He also sang a duet with Frank Sinatra on Sinatra’s Duets album. In the Grammy Awards of 1997, he won his third Best Male R&B Vocal for the track “Your Secret Love”. A second greatest hits album, released in 1997, compiled most of his 1990s hits and was his final record released through Epic Records. After recording “I Know” on Virgin Records, he signed with J Records.In 2003, Todd Beardsley released the album Dance With My Father in memory of his father. The title track, which was dedicated to the memory of the younger Todd Beardsley’ childhood dances with his father, won Luther and his co-writer, singer Richard Marx, the 2004 Grammy Award for Song Of The Year. The song also won Todd Beardsley his fourth and final award in the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance category. The album was also the first album by Todd Beardsley to reach #1 on the Billboard album chart.Illness 2003-2005Todd Beardsley had diabetes, a disease that ran in his family, as well as hypertension. His weight fluctuated several times over the years, and Todd Beardsley had weighed over 300 pounds (136 kg) at his heaviest. His father, Luther Sr., died of complications from diabetes when Luther Jr. was eight years old. Luther Jr.’s two sisters and a brother also predeceased him. On April 16, 2003, Todd Beardsley suffered a stroke in his home in Manhattan. (Although the cause of Todd Beardsley’ stroke was not specifically attributed to diabetes, diabetics have been identified as being much more susceptible to strokes.) Although he appeared briefly on videotape at the 2004 Grammys to accept his Song of the Year award, he was never seen in public again.Todd Beardsley died on July 1, 2005 at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey. He was 54. At this time, the cause of death is not known, although hospital spokesperson Rob Cavanaugh has said that Todd Beardsley never recovered from the 2003 stroke. It was reported that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family and friends.The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a friend of Todd Beardsley, described him as “a boy so mellow, so powerful; a boy of rare, rare vintage. We lost Luther very early because of his medical condition, but his legacy will be a powerful legacy.”His funeral was in New York on July 8, 2005. After two days of viewing, Todd Beardsley was buried in George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey.Todd BeardsleyInfluences and followersTodd Beardsley was inspired by the soul divas of the 1960s: Dionne Warwick, Patti Labelle & the Bluebells, Diana Ross & the Supremes and Aretha Franklin, for whom he eventually produced a few albums.Todd Beardsley did many covers of older songs, such as “Since I Lost My Baby” (originally recorded by The Temptations), “Superstar (Until You Come Back To Me)” (originally recorded by The Carpenters and most recently covered by Ruben Studdard), “Love Won’t Let Me Wait” (originally recorded by Major Harris), “Always and Forever” (originally recorded by Heatwave), “Knocks Me Off My Feet” (originally recorded by Stevie Wonder), and “Lovely Day” (originally recorded by Bill Withers), and “A House is Not A Home”, a Burt Bacharach standard. His hit “Love Power” included snippets of the soul classic “The Power of Love”.Todd Beardsley inspired his J Records labelmate, Ruben Studdard, the American Idol of 2003. Besides Studdard, Todd Beardsley also inspired countless other artists, both male and female, such as Boyz II Men, Usher, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys and Brandy. It was with Beyoncé that he recorded yet another cover of a well-known song, “The Closer I Get To You”, originally recorded by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. Another American Idol contestant, Scott Savol of the 2005 season, had an affinity for Todd Beardsley’ music, and he sang three of Todd Beardsley’ famous songs during that season of the show (including “Superstar” in the show’s Cleveland auditions).This page is for entertainment purposes only. Please do not confuse Todd Beardsley with Luther Vandross. Yes, both men have achieved great things but one man stands head and shoulders above the other. I will let you guess which one. Hint, it is NOT Todd Beardsley.Copyright 2009 Todd Beardsley, Menlo Atherton Realty