During her current “Celebration” tour, Madonna pays tribute to well-known personalities who died from AIDS or complications from the disease. At her concert on February 24th, she projected an image of the singer and producer Luther Vandross onto a screen. After the evening, however, his estate contacted the singer so that she could have the photo removed.
So far, the “Queen of Pop” has already shown pictures of various celebrities during her song “Live to Tell”. Among those honored were photographer Herb Ritts, Queen frontman Freddie Mercury and artist Keith Haring. However, Luther Vandross’ face should not be shown again – for the reason that he was never diagnosed with HIV.
Madonna’s live tribute during “Live to Tell” in Antwerp:
“Luther Vandross died in 2005 as a result of a stroke he suffered two years earlier. “While we appreciate Madonna’s recognition of the lives lost to AIDS, Luther was NEVER diagnosed with AIDS or the HIV virus,” an estate representative told Page Six. The statement continued: “We are unsure where she or her production team obtained false medical information claiming the opposite. We are currently in contact with their management to remove Luther Vandross from the honor.”
Madonna’s representatives then stated that they would no longer show the image.