Today marks the 5th anniversary of the passing of legendary singer Luther Vandross. After experiencing various battles with his health, his cause of death was an apparent heart attack. He like many African-Americans across the country had the dual diagnosis of having hypertension and diabetes. Throughout his career, we also witnessed images of his weight gain and loss. Regardless of his size, fans remained in-love with his music and velvety sound.
In 2003, a few days before his 52nd birthday, Luther suffered a stroke. Subsequently, he had just finished and released his single and album, “Dance With My Father” . His final project received many accolades and also won a Grammy the following year for Song of The Year. The stroke took severe damage on his body which resulted to his health deteriorating. One of his last public appearances was on the Oprah Winfrey show before his death on July 1, 2005.
His death is yet another example of the harsh reality of how hypertension and diabetes has taken individuals in the African-American community rapidly. We must address why this is happening and how we can reduce the death rate to save our lives.
“Dance With My Father”
Stevie Wonder at Luther Vandross’ funeral ( “I Won’t Complain”)
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