Tag: music icons

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The Palace and America’s Most Beautiful Historic Theaters

Throughout the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to visit several stunning historic theaters across the country. Some of my favorite theaters include the Carpenter Theater in Richmond, the Temple Theatre in Saginaw, the Granada Theater in Santa Barbara, and the Palace Theater in Waterbury. While many may not consider touring theaters when visiting cities, these venues offer a remarkable insight into entertainment history. Most of these theaters were constructed in the 1920s, initially serving as vaudeville houses before transitioning into movie theaters with Wurlitzer organs accompanying silent films and eventually returning to hosting live performances.

The Palace Theater, with its luxurious tomato-red velvet curtain, has hosted a myriad of iconic performers over the years, from Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Jackie Gleason to Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan, and the Grateful Dead.

In 1924, during a performance by magician Harry Houdini, a crew had to cut an 8-foot-wide hole in the stage floor for a trap door. The hole was later patched up. Unfortunately, when Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus visited, an elephant named Shirley fell through the patched hole from Houdini’s act several years earlier. Sadly, the management had to put the animal down as they could not rescue it. Shirley, the elephant, is now part of Palace Theater lore as one of the four friendly spirits that supposedly haunt the theater.

In contrast to today’s black box-style theaters designed to accommodate various stage productions, these historic theaters, with their gleaming neon marquees, elegant lobbies, gold detailing, crystal chandeliers, and Art Deco carvings, were solely intended to transport their audiences from the mundane of everyday life to a magical world. The sumptuous plushness of the velvet seats instantly makes you feel like you’re about to experience something extraordinary.

During the pandemic, people stopped attending live shows for health and financial reasons. Still, they continued to stream music, films, and TV in record numbers, proving that entertainment is a necessary commodity. Divabetic’s podcasts, virtual workshops, and YouTube videos also experienced an uptick. There was a prevailing notion that live theater was a luxury. If that notion still holds, creating elaborate, glamorous theater spaces that encourage people to dress up, celebrate, and experience the joys of life is truly invaluable.

Watching performances by Itzhak Perlman and Rohan De Silva in these beautiful settings is a treasure.

We’re talking about movie characters with diabetes, including Steel Magnolias, Soul Food, Mad Money, The Baby-Sitter Club, and Nothing In Common. How realistic are these portrayals? How accurate is information about diabetes and diabetes self-care?  And how do we feel after viewing them?  With all the emotional and physical complications comes drama, making characters with the condition a good plot point on the silver screen.

Guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Glucose SOS founder Pamela Heyward, Constance Brown-Riggs MSEd, RD, CDE, CDN, Kent Gash, Jessica Clark, and Muniq Gut Health Shakes Founder Marc Washington.  

Throughout this podcast, we will feature music from the album Score by 2Cellos, courtesy of SONY Music.

Divabetic’s monthly podcasts are dedicated to Music Lovers living with, at risk, and/or affected by diabetes. We aim to be the epicenter of the circle of care, a link between patients and their healthcare providers, a translator of clinical speak, and a bridge between denial and acceptance, fear and confidence.

Divabetic was inspired by the late music legend, Luther Vandross and created in 2005 by Max ‘Mr. Divabetic Szadek, who, as Vandross’ assistant of 14 years, witnessed his boss, mentor, and friend struggle in silence and solitude with diabetes and its related complications. 

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Divabetic Salutes Sade

Sade’s music has been a staple in the hearts of millions for five decades. With over 50 million records sold worldwide, Sade’s music has been a constant reminder that true talent doesn’t need to be loud or flashy. She has always let her music speak for itself. 

Although her body of work is considered paltry by industry standards, her music has been covered by everyone from Frank Ocean and Lauryn Hill to Herbie Hancock. Sade and the band seem obsessed with less rather than more.

 This dedication to her craft has made Sade a mystery to her fans even after all these years. She rarely does interviews and shares very little about her personal life, but her music has been covered by some of the biggest names in the industry. 

If you have yet to experience Sade’s music live, you’re missing out. When I attended her Madison Square Garden concert, I was blown away. She and her band were positioned behind a scrim on stage, adding an air of mystery to the atmosphere. Although we could see through the scrim, her lighting technicians projected colors and images, providing an extra visual treat for the audience. The show was fantastic, from the mesmerizing visuals to the smooth, calming sounds. 

I fell in love with Sade’s sophisticated jet-set, jazzy romance stories from her first album, Diamond Life. Whether it’s ‘Your Love Is King,’ ‘Smooth Operator,’ or ‘Hang on to Love,’ Their music transported me from the ordinary suburban to a swanky European cafe and the sands of St. Topez.

 “Kiss Of Life” is my fantasy wedding song. Sade’s voice and the band’s sultry rhythm make it sound timeless to me.

“It’s strange because most bands are forgotten about when there is a long hiatus between albums, but with us, it seems the opposite, particularly in the last few years,” Sade told GQ Magazine. 

Her music is a reminder that sometimes less is more and true talent always stays in style. 

We’re talking about ‘THE SWEETEST TABOO’ aka ‘SUGAR’ with musical inspiration from Sade on this episode of Divabetic’s podcast.

Added sugar is everywhere. But do we understand the impact it has on our diabetes health? 
You may think of sweets, chocolate, sodas, table sugar, and perhaps fruit if asked to name sugary foods. However, sugar also appears in savory foods such as ready meals, soups, salads, sauces, and ‘healthy’ foods such as breakfast cereals and yogurt. Furthermore, starches such as bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes also convert to sugar in our bloodstream, having the same impact on our bodies. These ‘hidden sugars’ can add a surprising amount to our daily intake. 

Guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Tameka Milline, Catherine Schuller, Kathy Dolgin aka ‘High Voltage’, and Stephanie MacKendree. Throughout the podcast, we play music from ‘The Essential Sade’ album courtesy of SONY Music. If asked to name sugary foods, you may think of sweets, chocolate, sodas, table sugar, and perhaps fruit.
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Divabetic Salutes Teena Marie

Teena Marie was an R&B singer, songwriter, musician, and producer. She was known by her childhood nickname Tina before taking the stage name Teena Marie, and later, Rick James nicknamed her Lady T.

During her lifetime, she made music that shattered narrow-minded marketing categories and gender roles. Teena Marie was the rare woman in charge of her material. She wrote, produced, and performed her records for much of her career, which took off in 1979.

Early in her career, Teena Marie told Dick Clark on American Bandstand that from the time she was eight years old, she dreamed of being on Motown Records. She said, “I used to look at the blue label and say, Oh, God, it (Motown) must be the most fabulous place’.”

After several creative delays at Motown, she caught the attention of Rick James, who was establishing himself in 1970s soul funk music.

In his autobiography Memoirs Of A Super Freak, Rick James describes his first encounter with Teena Marie as, “Never in my life had I heard such a range with so much passion in a white voice.”

With Rick’s help, Teena’s first single, ‘I’m A Sucker For Your Love,’ conceived initially as a potential duet for Rick James and Diana Ross, exploded into the Top Ten of Billboard’s R&B charts. “We deliberately didn’t put her picture on the album cover,” said Rick James, “because we wanted to confuse people and make them wonder whether Teena was black or white.” The song spent six months on the charts.

Looking back at that time, Teena Marie said, “Black people would always say, “I didn’t know you were White.” But people like good music,” She added, “At the end of the day, you have to sing what’s in your own soul.”

After Rick James passed, Teena Marie became addicted to Vicodin, initially diagnosed for her physical pain from a series of accidents. “Once I realized that those pills not only took away my physical agony by masking my emotional pain, I really became addicted,” she told Essense Magazine.

For Teena, Losing Rick James meant losing her musical soulmate, and her grief was unbearable. “We were like an extension of each other. I miss all our talks. We were like family; only family can talk about family, not anyone else.”


I am grateful to Teena Marie for paving the way for people like me. I was one of a handful of white men working for R&B performers in the 1990s. I traveled my path by following Teena Marie’s footprints.

 On this Divabetic podcast, we’re talking about BLUES, Addiction, and Diabetes with musical inspiration from Etta James. Etta James is a Grammy Award-winning singer best known for her iconic hits “At Last.” Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach, Dr. Monique Renee Rolle DPM, Catherine Schuller, Susan Greenberg Weiner MS, RDN, CDE, CDN, and Mama Rose Marie. Prize giveaways courtesy of Earth Brand Shoes, Dr. Greenfield’s Diabetic Foot Creams, Cabot Cheese, and Nu Naturals.
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A Little Respect by Lorraine Brooks

Enjoy this poem, A Little Respect, by Lorraine Brooks. Lorraine shared this poem on Divabetic’s podcast inspired by Aretha Franklin. 

Over the years, Lorraine has shared poems shedding light on society’s shame and blame directed at people with diabetes’s size and shape. Aretha Franklin struggled with several undisclosed issues (pancreatic cancer, type diabetes, tobacco use) and fluctuating weight issues throughout her career. It’s been reported that at age 34,  Aretha started yoyo dieting with alternating weight loss and gain.

A LITTLE RESPECT by Lorraine Brooks

Look at me.
Look at the pain
In my eyes.
All that you see
Is my
Overweight size.
Inside is a person
Who needs to
Be heard.
Needs to let go of
The hurt
I’ve incurred.
I’m not uninformed
And I’m not unaware.
I am not lazy
And yes, I DO care.
I haven’t abandoned
My health or my needs.
I’ve just redefined
What it means
To Succeed.
I am not here
To live up to your charts
Or conform to your standards
For my body parts.
It’s not called depression
It doesn’t need meds
I won’t go to blazes and
I won’t drop dead.
I don’t have the answer
To all of life’s queries,
I don’t want to hear about
All of your theories.
Just treat me with value
As part of the clan
And do not compare me to those
Smaller than.
Look at me
Look at the smile
I reflect
And treat me with love
And a little
Respect.

Enjoy this episode of Divabetic’s podcast with music from Aretha Franklin.

Aretha Franklin was considered the legend of legends, a groundbreaking singer with the fortitude to transcend race and genre, using voice as the bulldozer to break down every barrier set up in her way.

Aretha’s health journey sparks a discussion about the uncertain connection between pancreatic cancer and diabetes. Long-standing diabetes can be considered a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. It causes a modest increase in the risk of 1.5- to two-fold. Other risk factors for pancreatic cancer include smoking, chronic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), family history of pancreatic cancer, obesity, and specific genetic syndromes.

Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Dr. Wendy Satin Rapaport, Diabetes Strong’s owner Christel Oerum, Beautyphonics CEO and “Beneath The Makeup” Author Suzanne Perez, Jessica Clark, and Trisha Artman.

This podcast features music from Aretha Franklin’s ‘Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics’ courtesy of SONY Music.

Diabetes Late Nite is a fast-paced, full-filled hour of diabetes education and wellness advice that encourages listeners to “laugh a little, learn a  lot.”

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Divabetic Podcast on Stroke

On Divabetic’s podcast, Clarence Waldron shares his stroke, recovery, working as Senior Writer and Editor from Jet Magazine, and his memories of legends Luther Vandross and Aretha Franklin.

Twenty years ago, Clarence interviewed Luther’s mother, Mrs. Mary Ida Vandross, for Jet Magazine after Luther suffered a stroke due to mismanaged type 2 diabetes.

When I was growing up Jet Magazine was everywhere — barbershops, salons, and waiting rooms. The digest-size magazine featured pop culture stories, What’s On TV, Wedding Announcements and Anniversaries, the (in)famous Jet Beauty of the Week, and Jet’s Top 20 Singles.

Clarence’s story is an excellent reminder of why it’s essential to ACT F.A.S.T. if you or a loved one is experiencing a stroke. The acronym FAST (Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties, and Time) has been used by the American Stroke Association, American Heart Association, and others to educate the public on detecting stroke symptoms.

Earlier treatment results in a greater chance of recovery, a reduced likelihood of permanent disability, and a lesser need for extensive rehabilitation.

You’ll quickly hear Clarence’s upbeat attitude and ferocious appetite for music and divas have served him well during his recovery.

Throughout this podcast, we feature music from Aretha Franklin’s Get It Right album and Luther Vandross’s Live At Radio City Music Hall 2003 20th Anniversary Edition album courtesy of SONY Music.

Get It Right is Aretha Franklin’s twenty-ninth studio album, released in 1983 by Arista Records. It was produced by Luther Vandross, following his successful teaming with the singer for the Gold-certified album, Jump to It. Album highlights include I Wish It Would Rain, I Got Your Love, and Every Girl Wants My Guy.

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Give Me The Reason (To Lose Weight) on April’s Luther Vandross Tribute Podcast

“It’s the most awful, dark feeling in the world,” Divabetic Icon Luther Vandross said when he put back on 100 pounds. “It feels like you’re wearing an 80-pound hat and a coat that weighs 300 pounds … You feel like it’s always dark and gloomy.”

We’re spotlighting Luther’s album, Give Me The Reason on Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast, scheduled for Tuesday, April 13, 2021, 6 -7:30 PM, EST. 

Luther Vandross had become one of the most successful soul singers of the first half of the eighties when he recorded his fifth album, Give Me the Reason, in 1986. The album comprised nine tracks, including the hits: So Amazing, There’s Nothing Better Than Love, Stop To Love, and Give Me The Reason. 

He also was a weight loss success story! He appeared slim on the album’s cover in 1985, when he dieted below 200 pounds. 

Three short years later, Luther’s weight ballooned to more than 300 pounds. A pattern that he repeated several more times in his lifetime.

The next time he lost a significant amount of weight, he credited it to a six-month liquid diet program, used by Oprah Winfrey, in 1989.

While many people with type 2 diabetes struggle with weight fluctuations, Luther’s yo-yo relationship with food was displayed before millions of fans.

Divabetic’s Annual Luther Vandross Tribute podcast hopes to shed light on how doctors put overweight patients, with type 2 diabetes, on a path to failure by focusing on shedding pounds.

“Luther beat himself up about his weight fluctuations,” says Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek, host of Diabetes Late Nite

“His weight issues seemed to overshadow his success. He achieved and sustained incredible success in his career as a songwriter, producer, and singer, yet, on the flip side, fought a losing battle with his health.”

Our cultural obsession with appearance may bleed over into the exam room, leading doctors to disproportionately focus on weight and to interact with fat patients differently from thin ones. 

“It makes it very hard,” Luther said. “You wear it externally so the minute you walk through the door, everybody knows ‘Luther’s not winning his battle with his demon.'”

He often referred to his relationship with food as an addiction: “An alcoholic can’t have half a martini, and you know, I can’t have bread.”

Obesity is a health risk. Excess weight increases the risk of various health conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

But medical professionals disagree about how they should address weight management with patients or whether they should address weight loss at all. 

Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast guests include Lisa Fischer, Jason Miles, Jeff James, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Chuck Flowers, and Kitt Vordeaux. 

Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music from Luther Vandross’s Give Me The Reason album courtesy of SONY Music.

He added, “I can’t have sugar, and I can’t have carbohydrates … but I can sing the mess out of a ballad.”

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