Tony Chase – Divabetic

Toni B. featuring Pink Champagne as her Christmas Song of the Week on her fabulous UGONE radio show is a holiday treat! Paulette McWilliams and Ivan Hampden Jr. are absolutely thrilled!

You can catch all of Toni’s amazing shows on Mixcloud.

Here’s a fun little tidbit about Pink Champagne: my lyrics celebrate our dear friend, the legendary Luther Vandross.

Luther had a passion for Art Deco and Art Nouveau furniture and took great joy in decorating his stunning homes in Beverly Hills, Connecticut, and New York with these exquisite pieces.

Plus, did you know his gorgeous stage costumes designed by Tony Chase and Elizabeth Courtney were also inspired by these beautiful styles? I hosted a Luther Vandross: Music & Style event with my friends, Keith Anthony Fluitt, Christopher Faison and James Ervin this past April in New York City.

You can see Luther’s fantastic costumes, artifacts and memorabilia on display at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles until June 2025. The exhibit offers an intimate glimpse into Luther Vandross’ creative process and showcases his ornate stage wardrobe, exclusive performance footage from his popular tours, and a never-before-heard recording of him in the studio.

I was lucky enough to accompany him on a few trips to auction houses where he searched for these treasures, and that’s where the mention of Christie’s Auction House in the lyrics comes from! Thanks for letting me share my memories of my friendship with Luther!

“Luther: Never Too Much,” the documentary film from award-winning director Dawn Porter, chronicles the story of a vocal virtuoso will be available on streaming apps in January 2025.

Using a wealth of rarely seen archives, Luther tells his own story with assistance from his closest friends and musical collaborators including Mariah Carey, Dionne Warwick, Valerie Simpson, Seveda Williams, Fonzi Thornton, Robin Clark, Ava Cherry, Kevin Owens, Lisa Fischer, Carlos Alomar, Max Szadek, and Roberta Flack.

The film relives the many stunning moments of Luther’s musical career, while exploring his personal life, health struggles, and a lifelong battle to earn the respect his music deserved.

Sadly Luther suffered a stroke related to mismanged type 2 diabetes in 2003. The phrase “Every minute counts” is a warning to heed if you suspect someone close to you is having a stroke.

F-A-S-T is an acronym created to teach people how to recognize and remember the most common indicators that someone might be having a stroke. Here is what each of the letters stands for:

T for TIME: Don’t wait or lay down to see if symptoms disappear. Call 911.

F for FACE: One side of a person’s mouth appears to be drooping or their smile looks lopsided. .

A for ARMS: People who are having a stroke usually have difficulty moving arms and legs.

S for SPEECH: Difficulty talking, slurring words, repeating the same words or phrases, or their conversation doesn’t make sense, it may be a stroke.

Luther Vandross has been inducted into the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Musical Crossroads section.

Luther was very involved with every aspect of his live shows (lights, staging choreography, music, etc.), but in my opinion, the costumes were his absolute favorite. His display is stunning, dramatic and gorgeous. It has his eye-catching red, black, and crystal sequenced Art Deco stage jacket, created by fashion designer Tony Chase. It’s a striking reminder of the beauty, elegance and refined showmanship he created for his audiences worldwide.

The case also contains Luther’s own hand-written lyric sheet for his Grammy-winning song “Dance With My Father” in addition to the only microphone he used to record his studio albums.

When you’re in Washington, please enjoy the entire museum, but make your first stop is Luther’s display on the fourth floor.

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 has influenced an entire generation of today’s vocalists. His distinctive brand of satin-smooth vocal magic moved international audiences and continues to touch people to this day.

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 be playing 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 has to struggle 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

Tag: Tony Chase

Pink Champagne Pay Homage to Luther Vandross

Luther Vandross Inducted into the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture