Arnold G


My face done fell and, child, Mama’s ass is draggin’! ! I guess jetsetting around Scandinavia –immediately followed by an excursion up the California coast to Solvang -- has finally taken its toll. Lordie, my jowls have gone south! This carbon vessel is ready to crash & burn! It’s positively in dire need of rejuvenation, so I’ll just kick back today and catch-up on the screeners that have piled up since I’ve been away--one of the perks of being a journalist. No point in watching the mindless foolery on the tube. I mean, since Rosie’s left The View, there’s nothing to view. I curl up on the settee with two of my six felines, sisters Sheba and Abba, and put on a few discs. After watching Moonraker from the “James Bond Ultimate Edition” with a new commentary by my sexy hero, Roger Moore, and, 49 Up, the latest in Michael Apted’s continuing Seven Up documentary series that tracks the lives of fourteen British kids, I finish off with the HBO epic, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, an intriguing portrait of late-1800s America.

Piquing my interest in Native Americans, I call my friend, Arnold G, a singer/songwriter who is a self-described “mixed mutt,” thinking that his ancestry was part Indian. Nope. But he is a history buff. Raised in Camarillo, Arnold, a self-described “mixed mutt,” is a proud blend of Spaniard, Guamanian, and Filipino. He started off his career as a dancer and print model, and out of his passion for dance blossomed his talent for music. The electronica sound and pulsating beat of Driven landed it in the upper reaches of the dance chart; this debut CD also contains the soulful AIDS awareness song, “Carry On.” The companion DVD is jam-packed with mesmerizing faces of those who are living with HIV, some of whom have died, and other images of those who have taken an active stand over the years such as Elizabeth Taylor, Magic Johnson, and Elton John. A portion of the proceeds goes toward AIDS prevention programs. Arnold’s next album, Unplugged, will be released next month, as well as his new Hip-Hop and Dance single, "You Got Me Hot."  He also has a fanbase outside America since he has performed in Germany, Canada, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. He’s currently planning a tour.

Buzzing in from Hollywood on his jeep, Arnold lands at my quarters in the late afternoon. After watching Critic’s Choice from the newly released Lucille Ball Film Collection, which co-stars Bob Hope, we break bread, literally. He brought some tasty sugar-free desserts from Mäni’s Bakery. Yum.

Ruby Comer: “Sitting in my room last night, Looking back upon my life, And the places that I’ve been, Pictures, faces of friends that I’ve lost.” Nice touch.  Theselyrics from “Carry On” are so poignant.
Arnold G: Thank you, Ruby. Yes, I’ve lost many friends to this epidemic. I used to be in denial because it was so painful. I wrote this song for my friend and promoter, Greg Gilbert, who died in 2005.

You have said that you use music as a tool for social change. What motivates you?
The stats, Ruby! [He mocks a chuckle.] Forty million people are living with HIV/AIDS, twenty million have already died, and more than half of those newly infected with HIV are between the ages of fifteen and twenty-four. 

Recently you performed at the fourth annual AIDS/LifeCycle fundraiser in Las Vegas. You mentioned that you were disturbed by lack of support from the gays for the “straights.”
So many gay and straight cyclists pulled together to make a huge difference. All the speakers from this event only mentioned the gay effort and half the event was attended by straights. [He takes a bite of German chocolate cake.] I felt they were snubbed. My stomach was turning. I sometimes find the GLBT community to be selfish and not doing what’s right for the entire community. 

(I wipe a few crumbs off his cheek.) Hmmmm, yeah I sometimes think minorities can pull the elitist card, unfortunately. It’s certainly a disservice to their own community.
T he next week, I contacted a few GLBT HIV/AIDS organizations and asked to see their books to find out where the monies were going. It’s public information. I got nothing but attitude or a run-around. I’m not attacking the GLBT community, I’m just concerned about how they run their organizations and the occasional attitude they don. I also spoke to more than a dozen gay HIVers and they felt cast aside by the gay community. 

What kind of things were they upset with?
Some said: “I feel used by the system,” “Once I revealed my status, my friends disappeared,” and “Yes, I’m getting help with my meds but little money to survive on from SSI. I live like a cockroach.” [He ponders a moment.] My goals are threefold: to create a better bridge between both communities, drive the cost of meds lower, and to have no-cost counseling be provided to those who need it.

What a wonderful task you’ve undertaken.
We have to pull together whether straight or gay. We’re all people who need to work in unison to make life better for each other.

Si, Senor! Diversity need not be divisive. We’re all in this life trying to survive together. Sheez, having to keep talking about it just makes my tits hit ground floor, Arnold. Heavens to Betsy….
I know. We need to quit butting heads with each other. Let the past stay in the past and let’s move forward. AIDS affects everybody. When I was at the closing ceremonies of the AIDS/LifeCycle this year it was such a heartfelt affair filled with all different kinds of shapes, colors, sizes, and beliefs, but they were all united for one cause. What a feeling! When we unite, Ruby, miracles happen.    

Tune-up with Arnold at www.arnoldg.com, and download “Carry On” at www.agrecordsmusic.com, where proceeds from its sale go toward AIDS services.

Ruby Comer is an independent journalist from the Midwest who is happy to call Hollywood her home away from home. Reach her by e-mail at MsRubyComer@aol.com.

August 2007