Many musicians have changed the course of music history. Some of these influential culture-makers have found themselves diagnosed with HIV in the past several decades. While many people have continued to live long lives with the virus, others, who were diagnosed in the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, lost their lives far too early. Here’s a look at some of the most important musicians who have lost their lives to HIV and AIDS:
Eazy-E (Eric Wright)
Known as the “Godfather of Gangsta Rap,” Eric Wright, better known by his stage name Eazy-E, was an American rap artist in the 1980s and 1990s. He performed as a solo act and with the famous group known as N.W.A. Eazy-E was diagnosed with AIDS in February of 1995. One month after his diagnosis, at the age of 30, he died from complications caused by his illness.
Ricky Wilson
American guitarist Ricky Wilson was an original member of the popular band The B-52s where he helped to create classic rock n’ roll hits like “Rock Lobster.” He learned of his HIV diagnosis while recording the band’s third album, “Whammy!” He battled complications of AIDS for over two years until he passed away in 1985 at the young age of 32.
Tom Fogerty
Thomas Richard “Tom” Fogerty was a legendary American musician, best known as the rhythm guitarist from famed rock band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, or CCR. Many songs that he helped to develop are already considered important parts of rock n’ roll history. Fogerty contracted HIV from a blood transfusion during a routine surgery. On September 6,1990, Fogerty died from a tuberculosis infection caused by HIV/AIDS.
Liberace
Władziu Valentino Liberace, better known by his stage name “Liberace”, was a world famous pianist, singer and actor. At the height of his career, Liberace was the highest paid entertainer in the world. After being diagnosed with HIV, Liberace took many steps to keep it a secret from the public. At age 67, Liberace passed away from pneumonia, a complication of the AIDS virus, on February 4, 1987.
Sharon Redd
Sharon Redd was an American disco singer. Throughout the 1980s, Redd released three popular albums with several successful dance club hits. Her career began to subside as the country’s love affair with disco faded. In the midst of mounting a comeback in the early 1990s, Redd died of pneumonia on May 1, 1992. Dance Music Report magazine reported that her death was AIDS-related.
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was the front man for one of the most successful rock bands of all time, Queen. It was first reported that Mercury had tested positive for HIV in 1986 but the singer denied these reports. This would continue until the early 1990s when on November 22, 1991 Freddie Mercury released a statement to the press confirming his diagnosis of HIV and AIDS. He passed away just over 24 hours after the statement was made public. To this day, he is considered one of the greatest rock singers of all time.
Each of these famous musicians battled HIV and AIDS, eventually losing their lives to complications caused by the virus. Their contributions to music and culture are immeasurable. Today, a person can live a long life in relative health due to new treatments to prevent HIV from developing into AIDS. This requires that the infection be detected early. If you believe that you may have been exposed to HIV the best way to know the status of your current sexual health is to have HIV testing performed.