Singer Stevie Wonder sang a gospel song by the gold coffin

His gold coffin was carried through the rain in Harlem, New York, to the service at Riverside Church.

Usher, Alicia Keys and Patti LaBelle also sang his hit Power of Love/Love Power, which ended the memorial.

Vandross, 54, died on Friday. Doctors said he never really recovered from a stroke in 2003.

He won eight Grammy awards during his long career.

Aretha Franklin had the crowds dancing in the aisles

Wonder sang the gospel song I Won't Complain before Cissy Houston performed another gospel classic Deep River.

And crowds at the service clapped, waved their arms and danced in the aisles as Franklin gave her rendition of Amazing Grace, which included her own lyrics for the final verse which addressed the Vandross family.

LaBelle, who was a close friend of Luther Vandross, said: "There are no sad faces here today. It's not a mournful service. I'm celebrating because Luther would want us to."

She read a poem written by the icon's mother, Mary Ida, which thanked him for looking after her his whole life as he had always promised.

Fellow singer Dionne Warwick told the congregation: "We should be happy for Luther. He made a difference in this life and now has the wonderful opportunity to dance with his father again."

Vandross was much mourned after his death on Friday

She was making reference to the death of Vandross' father when the singer was just a child. He won a Grammy last year with the hit song Dance with My Father.

One of Vandross' nine nieces said she and the rest of the family were wearing white as he would not have wanted anyone to mourn.