Sound Off: How AIDS changed music
December 14, 2009
Written by Michelle Brockman
You may or may or may not have known but December 1st was World AIDS day. It is estimated that last year alone some 2 MILLION people died from AIDS related complications. Some of those people were musicians.
Sure, it’s easy to look over or even forget what some of those great, industry changing musicians have died from but it certainly doesn’t do anyone any favors. In my opinion their deaths are the perfect excuse to bring it up and shout about it and to try to bring an end to this silly and unnecessary disease. I was actually a little taken aback to find out that some of my favorite musicians died before their time because of AIDS. One of them being the larger than life pianist, Liberace. I remember listening to a cassette tape of his music with my dad when I was younger and just being captivated by the life he gave those piano keys and how for just a few minutes he carried you away with him, into his own little private world. Aside from impacting me, he also greatly influenced Elton John, Gary Glitter and Queen, to name a few. Just think of where we’d be today without those musicians. And just think of who else might have been impacted if it weren’t for Liberace’s premature death caused by the AIDS virus.
It’s kind of strange to know how much Queen, and more importantly their lead singer Freddie Mercury, were impacted by Liberace when he too would succumb to the same fate. Freddie was only 45 years old when he passed away. If that isn’t a tragedy then I don’t know what is. Especially since in 2005, 14 years after his death, he was voted the Greatest Male Singer of All Time and was voted second greatest singer overall (right behind Mariah Carey). There is certainly something to say about someone that is still held dear to so many people more than a decade after his death. It should also be pointed out that Freddie wrote 10 of the 17 songs on Queen’s Greatest Hits album including Bohemian Rhapsody, Somebody to Love, We are the Champions and Crazy Little Thing Called Love. I can think of at least 5 movies that have had his songs as part of the soundtrack. I mean really, what would Wayne’s World be without Bohemian Rhapsody. That song is so awesome the Muppets, yes THE MUPPETS, did a cover of it.
Rapper Eazy-E also died from AIDS related complications in 1995. He was 31 years old and didn’t even know he was infected with the virus. It was believed his symptoms were due to asthma until he was admitted to the hospital and his condition steadily deteriorated. Blood tests were conducted and revealed the true reason for his illness. He died 10 days after being admitted and left behind a new wife and a young son. Eazy-E formed the group NWA with Dr. Dre and Ice Cube in 1987. They were on of the first West Coast Rap groups to come out of Compton and were instrumental to the commercial success of the West Coast Rap genre. I can only imagine where his career would have been today if his life wasn’t unexpectedly and tragically cut short.
The list could go on and on but I think it’s more important to point out that AIDS doesn’t care if you’re white or black or gay or straight. It doesn’t care if you’re single or if you’re married, if you’re a mom or a dad or if you’re a grandma or grandpa. We all need to be aware and prepared and know that it’s out there and not skirt around the issue. Take responsibility for your health and do your very best to educate others. Just think of the impact that these few lives have made and what a better and more fun world it was because of them…and what an even better and more fun world it would have been if we didn’t lose them as soon as we did.
Photo from Topnews
References:
Wikipedia
Elvispelvis.com/aids
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