Even though I have been on this venture for over two years now, unfortunately, there are still some defining moments that I did not get a chance to capture. Things like the chance to memorialize some legends that left us not that long ago. Luther Vandross for one. However, I now have the opportunity in a roundabout way because of the recent sorrowful news.
The mother of the one and only Luther, Mary Vandross, died last Thursday after being in 
a coma for more than a month. She was 82-years-old.
Mary was the last surviving member of the Vandross clan. She had already lost her husband, all four of her children AND her only grandson. All of them to either strokes or diabetes.
Luther's last big hit before his passing was the powerful cut "Dance with My Father" which was a dedication to his late father. Normally, I would be a strong proponent for that type of honor. The main reason being that all we ever hear about is how many bad fathers are out there and not enough about the good dads. In that regards, it was a very noble thing for Luther to do.
Now knowing all that his mother has went thru, Mary deserved her own song as well. Here is a woman who had to see all of the children she brought into this world leave before her. She could have wallowed in sorrow, but instead she became a champion for Diabetes by becoming the spokesperson for the Diabetes Aware campaign.
Her blessing the world by giving us Luther was not enough for Mary. She was also quite the phenomenal person in her own right. Thank you, Mrs. Vandross for everything you have done. Enjoy your family reunion up there. Rest in peace.
