NEW YORK, Apr 6, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- The Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation Monday said it has received a major gift from the estate of late U.S.
music star Luther Vandross.
Vandross died in July 2005 at age 54, more than two years after suffering a
debilitating stroke. The R&B icon had a family history of diabetes, and he
suffered from the disease, the foundation said.
"Luther was one of the most generous persons whose personality and talent left
an imprint on everyone," Carmen Romano, his longtime business manager and
executor of his estate, said in a statement. "Given his family history of
diabetes, and his own personal struggle with the disease, it was important for
him to help find a cure for diabetes."
"Luther's gift will live on in the hope and promise of a better life and
ultimately a cure for all people touched by diabetes. His generosity will help
speed the pace of research leading to a cure," added Amy Franze, executive vice
president of development for JDRF.
The foundation did not specify the amount of the gift.
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