The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic celebrates Divabetic inspiration, Luther Vandross‘s musical legacy with a special podcast. Friends, former bandmates and fans along with certified diabetes educators share stories and raise awareness for diabetes with music from the Luther Vandross album courtesy of SONY Music.

Luther Vandross made a return to form with his 2001 self-titled album, Luther Vandross and his first bow for former Arista chief Clive Davis’ new label, J Records released in 2001.  Many critics said the Luther Vandross album ranks as the singer’s best since 1991’s critically and commercially lauded Power of Love, and it produced the single “Take You Out,” which proved to be the velvet-voiced crooner’s first Top 40 pop hit since “Endless Love,”

The song “Any Day Now” received a nomination for Best Traditional R & B Vocal Performance at the 2003 Grammy Awards. Parts of  “Take You Out” were interpolated by Jay-Z on “Excuse Me Miss” off his 2002 album, The Blueprint: The Gift & The Curse.”

Luther effortlessly brings on the funk on stellar up-tempo tracks, such as “Grown Thangs,” the neo-disco of “Say It Now” (which recalls his classic “Never Too Much”), and the fabulous “How Do I Tell Her,” the latter two utilizing a long standing trademark of Vandross’ stellar female background vocals that nearly steal the show. The album also includes the classic ballads — lush, romantic quiet storm numbers such as “Hearts Get Broken All The Time,” the melodic “I’d Rather,” “Any Day Now,” and “Love Forgot” and an inspired cover of the Burt Bacharach/Hal David classic “Are You There (With Another Guy)”.

Music critics agreed that the Luther Vandross album shows the singer/songwriter/producer in step with changing times, all the while still managing to hold on to the essence of what made him so famous in the first place.