Singer Barry White undergoing dialysis, awaits kidney
Thursday, September 26, 2002 Posted: 1:31 AM EDT (0531 GMT)
White had suffered kidney failure.
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LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Soul singer Barry White, battling kidney failure brought on by years of high blood pressure, is undergoing dialysis and is hoping to receive a kidney transplant, his record label said Wednesday.
At the request of White's family, no details about his condition were disclosed, and it was not revealed whether he was hospitalized or living at home while receiving treatment on an out-patient basis.
"Doctors confirm that Barry White has a history of hypertension (high blood pressure), which has led to a decline of kidney function," according to a statement from Island Def Jam Music Group. "He has started a course of maintenance dialysis therapy. Once stabilized, he will be a candidate for a kidney transplant."
A spokeswoman at the label said White had suffered kidney failure.
The hefty 58-year-old performer, known for his rich bass vocals and musical love-maestro persona, has provided "the mood" for countless candlelight dinners and late-night trysts with such ballads as "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe," and "You're the First, the Last, My Everything."
He won the first two Grammys of his 40-year career 2 1/2 years ago for the album "Staying Power."
Hopefully, after he stabilized, they will be able to find a kidney that will match. Organ donations among the AA community are low.
