Yeah, Luther no doubt put in dues before his time came be it 8-9 years later with a song he wrote and in a key scene for, "The Wiz," doing work with David Bowie, or being a part of another R&B group before he finally had his major breakthrough with, "Never Too Much." Once he put out that album, it was over.
Oh, he even had a Christmas song in the mid-70s that has since for me become a must hear around the season. Yep, he definitely worked his way to the top.