Frontdesk by David Waggoner
Whenever I’m feeling nostalgic for my youth, I watch MTV: The network, launched in 1981 and now seen on every continent on the planet, has established itself as the leading voice of sex ed on TV. And for good cause. More than fifty percent of all new HIV infections occur in young men and women—the very kids who are watching music television in all its various formats, languages, and production values. Punk rock and new wave have come and gone, grunge has grown up, rap and hip-hop are more establishment than ever, but MTV continues to rock the world with its trailblazing brand of AIDS activism.
And on that note: It seems that true AIDS activism never grows old, or goes out of style. Look at Patti LaBelle, one of the grand dames, the divas, if you will, of R&B, as well as AIDS fundraising. Coming up on July 4, the Sunoco Philadelphia Freedom Concert will feature headliner Sir Elton John himself and the likes of Rufus Wainwright III, Bryan Adams, and the Lady of Musical Longevity, Ms. LaBelle. Additionally, the Philadelphia Freedom Ball, a multimillion-dollar HIV/AIDS fundraising gala, will precede the concert. The Philadelphia Freedom Concert promises to make the record books as well: Two million men, women, and children are expected to show up at the free outdoor concert.
What might go down in history as the largest live audience since Woodstock, the concert will do more than raise money for international as well as local AIDS initiatives. It will increase awareness on a global scale through the use of popular culture. Not since the Live Aid concert, held simultaneously in Philadelphia and London in 1985, has there been such a large charitable American or European musical event.
In this month’s exclusive cover story interview, B. Andrew Plant gets acquainted with Patti LaBelle, the legendary songstress whose musical career spans five decades. Performing longer than Tina Turner, the Moody Blues, Cher, Rod Stewart, Diana Ross, Neil Diamond, David Bowie, or even the Rolling Stones, Patti LaBelle in all her incarnations defies gravity. Since 1962, she has been a force to be reckoned with. And her involvement in fighting the AIDS epidemic practically goes as far back as the crisis itself. Her unflagging dedication to fight AIDS continues, in her own words, “because we still haven’t gotten serious enough about this thing. It’s affected too many people in too many ways in too many places.” For someone sixty-one-years-young, Patti doesn’t give up on her causes. The two diseases nearest and dearest to her heart are definitely afflicting minority Americans in disproportionate numbers: diabetes and AIDS.
Patti LaBelle’s brand of AIDS education is unique in its ability to reach across so many ethnicities, ages, and genders. From penning cookbooks to singing at charity concerts, Patti raises consciousness by raising the roof. But that’s not the point. The relevance of Patti LaBelle in 2005 is that her kind of perseverance and personality will vanquish the HIV/AIDS crisis. As Patti says in her own inimitable way: “Living with a disease means you have to think about health choices everyday, like it or not.”
These days, Patti wants the world “to stop being so mean.” Kindness, for Patti LaBelle, is always the first ingredient when it comes to cooking up a medicine for what’s ailing the world. With Patti LaBelle on our side, I think all of us should have a “New Attitude” and, when it comes to making a difference in the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS, let’s “Stir It Up.”
June 2005
