Overview
- The late‑1990s Rosie O’Donnell Show exchange, shared on his official TikTok and widely re‑posted, shows Vandross saying “David Bowie discovered me.”
- He recounts Bowie overhearing him sing during 1974 Young Americans sessions while he visited guitarist Carlos Alomar and inviting him to put the vocals on the record.
- Vandross says he shaped vocal arrangements for the project and contributed ideas that fed into the track “Fascination,” which evolved from one of his compositions.
- He also recalls serving Bette Midler as the “forgotten fourth Harlette,” often singing from behind a curtain because he was shy.
- The clip’s traction is renewing interest in his behind‑the‑scenes influence before his solo hits, highlighting how background vocalists can steer the sound of major records.