Don't Want to Be a Fool

1991 single by Luther Vandross

"Don't Want to Be a Fool"

Single by Luther Vandross

from the album Power of Love

Released

June 20, 1991 (1991-06-20)^[1]

Recorded

1991

Genre

R&B, soul

Length

4:35^[2]

Label

Epic

Songwriter(s)

Luther Vandross, Marcus Miller

Producer(s)

Luther Vandross, Marcus Miller

Luther Vandross singles chronology

"Power of Love/Love Power"
(1991)

"Don't Want to Be a Fool"
(1991)

"The Rush"
(1991)

Music video

"Don't Want to Be a Fool" on YouTube

"Don't Want to Be a Fool" is a song by American recording artist Luther Vandross, released in June 1991 as the second single from his seventh album, Power of Love (1991). The song peaked at No. 4 on the US Billboard R&B Singles chart on September 14. It also peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 2 same year.^[3]

Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic named the song one of the "high points" of the album.^[4] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Second single from Vandross' current Power of Love disc places the acclaimed vocalist in a familiar R&B ballad setting. Lovely tune has already begun making radio and chart inroads, and should have no trouble matching the success of its predecessor."^[5] Henderson and DeVaney from Cashbox described it as "a smooth, mid-tempo "up-town soul" song oozing with emotion."^[6]

Track listing

US cassette single, CD single

"Don't Want to Be a Fool" — 4:35

Charts

Chart (1991)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100	9
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)^[7]	5
US Hot R&B Singles (Billboard)	4

References

^ "Atlanta News, Sports, Atlanta Weather, Business News | ajc.com". Nl.newsbank.com. 1991-08-10. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
^ "Luther Vandross - Don't Want To Be A Fool at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
^ "Luther Vandross Album & Song Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Luther Vandross – Power of Love". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-11-04.
^ Flick, Larry (1991-08-10). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 67. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
^ Henderson, Alex; DeVaney, Bryan (1991-08-17). "Music Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Cashbox. p. 5. Retrieved 2020-10-31.
^ "Luther Vandross Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved August 28, 2018.