Luther Vandross’ Mom Describes His Final Hours

Music fans everywhere are still mourning the loss of the legendary Luther Vandross, who died a little more than a year ago.Whatever they feel, however, is nothing compared to what the mother he left behind lives with every single day.?Has it been a tough year for you?? Access Hollywood?s Tim Vincent asked.?I miss him tremendously as he was the last of my four children to pass away,? Mary Ida Vandross told Tim.A mother?s ultimate heartbreak is burying a child. Multiply that pain by four fro 82-year-old Mary Ida, who lost all of her children to diabetes.Luther, who she always called ?Ronny,? was Mary Ida?s oldest. The singer died in July 2005 at the age of 55 following a stroke, with complications due to diabetes.?You knew him as such a big, strong person and to see him brought down from diabetes to a weakling?it’s almost unbearable!? Mary Ida told Access Hollywood.Mary Ida turned to her memories and Luther?s music for support and strength. One of her favorite songs is Luther?s Grammy-winner, ?Dance with My Father,? which he wrote for his Dad.?He was quite young when his father passed away, wasn’t he?? Tim asked.?Seven years and six-months-old,? Mary Ida confirmed. ?To me that has always been a mystery and will remain a mystery. How did he know so much about his father? He would reminisce about his father and it was startling. ‘Ronny, do you remember that?’ He said, ‘Mama, I know everything about my father!??And fans can look forward to Luther?s upcoming greatest hits album: ?The Ultimate Luther Vandross,? out August 22.It will include two new songs recorded right before his stroke called ?Shine? and ?Got You Home.??What were his final few hours like?? Tim asked.?Well, the Sunday that I saw him before his demise, I sang a song for him,? Mary Ida said. ?It’s a song that I used to sing when he was a little boy.?Mary Ida sang a few lovely bars of ?You’ll Never Know? for Tim.?You ever heard that?? Mary Ida asked.?No, but its beautiful,? Tim said.?Well, bless your heart,? Mary Ida said.?You should have a Grammy,? Tim said.?That’s what I am working on,? Mary Ida laughed.