LUTHER VANDROSS

one memory triggers another memory.. after writing my last blog i remembered a story that in hindsight is delicious.

i was on a plane from new york to los angeles. as i mentioned before, the first class cabin was always abuzz with people making deals and exchanging business cards.. most of these flights had famous celebrities. i've sat next to al pacino and froze during the flight. he scared me.. he's a very small man and i suppose i confused him with the characters he played. as i was sitting frozen, i was trying to glance at the script he was reading.. the title on each page was SCENT OF A WOMAN.

i just digressed..

on another flight, i got on the plane and the last person to enter was luther vandross..under normal circumstances, i wouldn't have gotten excited but i did.. the reason was, a dear friend of mine was so crazy about luther that she named all her cats luther.. there was luther 1.. luther 2. luther 3 and so forth.

my friend is an english woman who came to this country as a nanny and stayed in america. she is a real limey. her home was leeds, england and her accent was and is very cockney which she'll still deny.

her name is T.. yes just T.. it stands for tart! T is a beautiful blonde white woman who prefers black men. always has, always will. so to her luther vandross was god like. a black man with a gorgeous voice.

back to the plane.. luther got up to use the rest room and i decided to stand up so when he left the bathroom, i could tell him about T and her adoration for him. something i've learned, you just don't do. but i was new at this.

i told luther about T and just yapped away.. those days, each seat had a phone and i asked luther if he'd call T which he did.. he was a very gentle, kind, sweet man . i got T on the phone and said, hang on luther vandross wants to talk to you. she went crazy but was able to be coherant enough to have a conversation with him. luther suggested that T meet us at baggage claim when we arrived in los angeles and he'd give her an autograph and take pictures with her.. how lovely was that?

well, we landed and sure enough T was there and i introduced her to Luther. like i really knew him.. i am sure at certain times in my life, i should be locked up.

they took the pictures and luther gave her his autograph. he then asked her how she'd like to come to the Ebony awards where he was performing. the Ebony awards honor black entertainers. a perfect match for T.. luther asked for her phone number and said his assistant would be calling her to make arrangements.. sure enough, his assistant called and told T that a car would be sent to her and she could bring someone with her. she went with her friend Guy who happened to be a guy.. they were seated between mohammed ali and michael jackson. the girl almost died.. luther acknowled her from the stage and she was gaga over that.

after the show, they went to denzel washingtons restaurant, Georgia. she probaby was the only white woman there but T never noticed. when dinner was finished the car took them back to her house and as T says, a dream was realized.

its a memory she will have forever and i completely forgot about it until she reminded me of it yesterday.

it was almost like Make a Wish for the healthy.

i remember when luther had a serious stroke, i sent him a get well letter and told him how i wished he could have a night like my friend did. i wished him a speedy and full recovery. i never heard back. he died.

i'm sure people remember him for his beautiful voice. i remember him as a big teddy bear with a huge heart.

be back soon