Soulful singer Luther Vandross dies at age 54

By Cindy Locke Jul 2, 2005, 0:43 GMT

Eight time Grammy Award winner Luther Vandross died Friday at a hospital in New Jersey at the age of 54.

Vandross suffered a stroke on April 16, 2003.  He regained consciousness, but never resumed his recording or performing career. 

In a statement to the Associated Press in May 2003, his mother, Mary Vandross, said, “He has to recover; he's all I have left.  He's my last surviving child."

Vandross had battled with obesity, diabetes and hypertension over the years.  His father, brother, nephew, maternal grandfather and paternal grandfather had all succumbed to diabetes.

His last album, Dance with my Father, was released in 2003 and went on to win 4 Grammy awards.  Vandross said the album was a person one.

"When I heard it, I felt like I was going to, well, scream," Mary Vandross said in a statement. "I played it over and over and I cried and cried. I was amazed how well Luther remembered his father, how we used to dance and sing in the house. I was so surprised that at 7-and-a-half years of age, he could remember what a happy household we had. It was always filled with a lot of music."

To the end, his mother held out hope for his recovery.

"Knowing how he loves this new album, I believe Luther would want it to come out now and I'm so grateful that he can get this chance," she said. "He is going to recover and when he does, I want him to be greeted with a big success story.”