Watch the trailer for LUTHER: NEVER TOO MUCH, an intimate look into a musical icon’s stunning life and career. From filmmaker Dawn Porter (John Lewis: Good Trouble), it features interviews with many of Luther’s closest friends, collaborators, me(!), and fans, including Mariah Carey, Dionne Warick, Valerie Simpson, Roberta Flack, Jamie Foxx, and more.
Luther fans will hear how he got his start after crashing a recording session for David Bowie’s Young Americans and becoming one of the most sought-after backup singers for artists such as Chic, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, and Aretha Franklin before his 1981 solo breakout R&B hit Never Too Much.
The Here and Now artist suffered a stroke related to mismanaged type 2 diabetes in 2003. This inconceivable occurrence was the founding inspiration for me to start Divabetic. As Luther’s assistant, I wanted to encourage a new attitude about diabetes. One of our guiding principles is for people living with diabetes to create an entourage of care featuring family, friends, and healthcare collaborators to help with their self-care management.
Sadly, Luther was never able to recover fully. I stayed with him, supervising his care and rehabilitation until he died in 2005. Diabetes may have silenced one of the world’s greatest voices, but his worldwide influence endures.
Get inspired to stay healthy and upbeat about your self-care through Divabetic’s tribute podcasts, videos, Zoom meetups, and more.
Luther: Never Too Much documentary opens in theaters in select cities beginning November 1. Nationwide preview screenings October 30. Presented by Giant Pictures and CNN Films.
In a 2020 episode of the TV Show, Biggest Loser, former American Idol winner RubenStuddard, 35, received some startling news about his health. Dr. Robert Huizenga diagnosed the singer with type 2 diabetes.
According to the show’s medical expert, Studdard’s insulin level, average blood sugar and instantaneous blood sugar levels were high across the board.
“I AM AFRAID,” the Velvet Teddy Bear replied. “I have seen a lot of lives cut short because of health issues.
It’s easy to assume he could be referring to Luther Vandross, who suffered a stroke at age 52 and died at age 54 due to the mismanagement of type 2 diabetes.
Luther had over fifty people supporting him with his music, but he chose to go it alone when managing his diabetes. One thing I have learned over the past twenty years is that for people with diabetes, a team approach to managing their health is ideal. From supportive healthcare collaborators to nonjudgmental co-workers, a team approach offers you the support you need when the daily grind of self-care burns you out.
Many people ignore or don’t treat their with type 2 diabetes, choosing to believe their diagnosis isn’t that serious. Too many doctors suggest losing weight is the easiest way to solve their problems. But what if it isn’t?
I watched my boss, Luther Vandross, struggle with his weight for over a decade. He lost and gained a hundred pounds multiple times while I worked for him. Whenever we thought he had found a way to maintain his weight loss, something would trigger weight gain.
Unfortunately, mismanaged type 2 diabetes can lead to devastating health consequences such as stroke, kidney failure, amputation, and blindness.
Research has shown that people who lack proper diabetes self-care education are more likely to be affected by complications of mismanaged diabetes. Diabetes is a complex and challenging disease that requires daily self-management decisions made by the person with diabetes. The emotional toll of living with diabetes can also take its toll on someone’s ability to manage their care.
Anxiety—feelings of worry, fear, or being on edge—is how your mind and body react to stress. People with diabetes are 20% more likely than those without diabetes to have anxiety at some point. Managing a long-term condition like diabetes is a source of anxiety for some. If you suffer from anxiety, please seek professional help. Talking to others about how you feel helps relieve some of the stress and overcome feeling overwhelmed.
Most of us take our health for granted. We leave our houses without eating. We sit for hours in a chair without getting up. We think we’re hungry when we’re thirsty. We don’t listen to our bodies. Sadly, most people don’t adopt health habits until diagnosed with a chronic condition.
Awareness of your blood sugar levels, what you eat, and when you eat can be exhausting. Many people push back on being aware of everything in their bodies.
“I’ve worked since I was 11-years-old to be a professional singer,” says Ruben Studdard. “That’s all I ever wanted to do.” He confessed to being on the show because he knows it’s time to focus on his health.
“I most definitely want to be around for a long time,” said Ruben Studdard. “This has really, like, given me a second chance.”
Divabetic remembers Luther Vandross (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) with this special podcast, Tribute to Luther Vandross, celebrating his career during the 1990’s. Luther Vandross was a musical master whose style influenced a generation of today’s vocalists. His distinctive brand of satin-smooth vocal magic moved international audiences and continues to touch people today.
The happy healthcare host, Max “Mr. Divabetic” Szadek, who worked with Vandross for more than 14 years, hosts this tribute podcast featuring Luther’s former vocalists Paulette McWilliams, Pat Lacy, Tawatha Agee, Cindy Mizelle, and Kevin Owens, band member Bryon Miller, Vandross family member, Seveda Williams, friends Darren Margo and David Jones, the Luther Vandross historian, Leon Petrossian and Luther super fan, Jane Goodman from Great Britain.
Throughout the podcast, we will play selected Luther Vandross songs that he recorded during the 1990’s courtesy of SONY Music.
Divabetic, the organization inspired by Luther’s diabetes journey, revisits the singer’s career in the decade of hair scrunchies, boy bands, grunge, and rave parties. This Luther tribute remembers the moments, the music and the man, and the motivation to ensure that no one struggles with diabetes alone or in silence. Keep ‘your house a home’ and learn how to prevent diabetes health-related complications from occurring. Visit: www.divabetic.org
