Beloved Radio Personality Opens Up About Sons' Deaths: 'I Got Nothing Left'
Delilah Rene Luke, known professionally as simply "Delilah," has been what she likes to call "The Queen of Sappy Love Songs," doling out love and advice on the radio for nearly 30 years.
But off the air, she has endured unimaginable heartbreak. In 2012, her 16-year-old son Sammy died of complications related to sickle cell anemia; in 2017, her 18-year-old son Zack died by suicide; in 2019, her stepson Ryan died of a drug overdose. She also lost her brother, Michael, and sister-in-law Anne in a plane crash in 1985.
Throughout her life, Delilah has raised 15 children — 12 adopted and 3 biological — plus she is stepmother to five. And it is her family and her faith that have gotten her through such immense loss.
In a new interview with People, the radio host said that at times, she has nothing left to give to her listeners, but she knows that they call in needing help and she needs to "rise to the occasion to meet that need."
"When I'm hurting or empty, and I open my heart to share with someone else, I'm filled up," Delilah shares. "There are times where I got nothing left. Some nights, I take calls that wipe me out, and I got nothing left. When people want, and they take energy from you that drains you, but when somebody has a need, and you rise to the occasion to meet that need, you're the one who's filled up."
Delilah also said that interacting with her children and grandchildren is what gives her hope because she knows they are "going to be here long after I'm gone."
And she wants to remind people that everyone out there is precious. Everyone is valuable.
"Every person that you encounter has a multitude of stories. Everyone, including people that we dismiss, homeless people, elderly people, and the terminally ill. They're loved, they're so valuable, so precious," she says. "When people listen, I want them to know that's the truth. There's nobody with a mind or a heart exactly like yours that makes you so unique and so precious."
Delilah also told Next Avenue in a 2024 interview that she thinks society has gotten so accustomed to talking about all sorts of things, "but it's not OK to talk about grief."
"It's not OK to talk about grief, to talk about loss, to talk about mental health, to talk about suicide, and to talk about disease when it affects young people," said Delilah, adding, "It's not something you can compartmentalize, then go to a 12-step meeting for a week and you're okay. It doesn't work that way."
So Delilah has tried to be as open and honest as she can be on the air and to encourage her listeners to do the same. The 65-year-old DJ told People that there is "no higher compliment" than when listeners tell her that her show has made an impact in their lives.
"When somebody says, 'I grew up listening to you. I made my kids listen to you, growing up in the backseat of the car, now my grandkids…' When you're a part of the fiber of somebody's life, of their family, there's no higher compliment."
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You can use the stars to inspire your readings and also host an evening star-gazing event after the service. Funerals are already formal, but you can take your formality to the next level with a black-tie attire service. Have people dress in gowns and tuxes as a way to show their respect in the most stylish way possible. This is especially fun if the person you're honoring loved dressing up. For an added touch, host a formal cocktail party as a reception after the service. Related: Most funerals are held during the day, but you could host an evening event by candlelight. This can be very touching, especially if you pass candles around and let everyone light theirs. After the service, release sky lanterns together in a safe place to give your loved one a beautiful send-off. It may sound like a weird funeral theme, but centering the whole event around your loved one's favorite movie can be a light-hearted but still very personal tribute. 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