Sir Elton John - Knighted for Service to AIDS
(Not service to AIDS Relief, service to AIDS)
Note the cock&balls hanging from his right ear.
It's not politically correct to call him a creepy old poof, but he is.
I should be dead. Six foot under, in a wooden box.
Every day I ask myself, "How did I survive..?"
Because the AIDS Disease is caused by a virus..."
Candle in the Wind 1997 sold 11 million physical copies in the United States alone, and at least 3.5 million copies in the UK.
The proceeds of which, nearly ALL go to AIDS Charities selected by Earl Spencer that promote the global myth that HIV is the cause of AIDS, protecting the lie of the Eugenics Movement that this is not neocolonial genocide in Africa and across the globe.
That was in September 1997.
In 1998, Elton John was knighted by Her Majesty the Queen.
"Ladies and gentlemen, by all rights, I shouldn’t be here.
I should be dead. Six feet under, in a wood box.
I should have contracted HIV in the 1980s and died in the 1990s.
- If the HIV virus exists (which is far from clear at this point), and if it is readily communicable by high-risk sexual contact, (which is not proven), you MAY have died in the 1990s if your infection became chronic, but this could have been avoided with good nutrition and exercise.
You should perhaps more likely have contracted Hepetitis B in the 1970s
Just like Freddie Mercury.
- Freddie Mercury was not HIV +, and never took a test in his life.
This is a lie, Elton.
Freddie Mercury recieved a presumptive diagnosis of full-blown AIDS in March of 1987, without access to the benefit of an antibody test kit, and never sought treatment or confirmatory tests.
Just like Rock Hudson.
- Rock Hudson was not HIV +, and never took a test in his life.
This is a lie, Elton.
Rock Hudson recieved a presumptive diagnosis of full-blown AIDS in 1985, without access to the benefit of an antibody test kit, checked into the Institue Pasteur for treatment in that year and died two years before the ELISA kit became commercially available.
Just like so many friends and loved ones of yours and mine."
Elton and The Wife.
Cocaine's a Hell of a Drug
Cocaine's a Hell of a Drug
In November 1975, in what had been officially designated Elton John Week in Los Angeles, he played a series of concerts at the Dodger Stadium and inaugurated his own star on Hollywood Boulevard; he also attempted suicide at his Bel Air mansion by swallowing 60 Valium and jumping into the swimming-pool in front of his mother and grandmother, screaming,
'I’m going to die!’
'It was stress,’ he says now. 'I’d been working non-stop for five years. But it was typical me. There was no way I was going to kill myself doing that. And, of course, my grandmother came out with the perfect line:
“I suppose we’ve all got to go home now.”
'And then two days later I was playing Dodger Stadium, and Cary Grant was there, and it was one of the best days of my professional life and I pulled it off. I’ve got that resilient thing inside me. But I wasn’t a happy bunny.’
The problem, he now says, is that he would come off stage, discard the increasingly fanciful performing costumes – the Captain Fantastic outfits, the Eiffel Tower hats, the feather boas and artificial banana stoles – and have no idea who or what he was supposed to be. 'I would only know how to be “Elton”. I wouldn’t know how to live off stage. There was no balance in my life.’ This seems to be an understatement.
'I know people who can do a line of coke once a month,’ he says. 'Well, I can’t.’ His consumption of the drug and of alcohol quickly assumed gargantuan proportions. There is a period in his life – quite a long period – which he now remembers only as 'a complete and utter blur’.
'The self-loathing I had…’ He sighs. 'Walking around the house, not bathing for three or four days, staying up watching pornography all the time, drinking a bottle of scotch a day. And I was bulimic as well, so I wouldn’t eat for three days, then gorge on six bacon sandwiches and a pint of ice cream and throw it up. And then have a shower and start the whole procedure all over again. There was no self-respect there whatsoever. It was just f***ing horrible. You look back and think, how on earth could I have done that? But I did.’
There were moments, he says, when he was convinced that he was about to die. 'I would have massive seizures where it felt like my head was spinning round like Linda Blair in The Exorcist and I would collapse. I remember once collapsing in my bedroom and they found me – and it’s a wonder they did – and I was blue. They put me back on the bed and revived me, and they went out, and 30 minutes later I was back doing blow. Can you imagine?’
Friends who tried to intervene were largely shunned. His mother, Sheila, left the country and moved to Spain. 'It speaks volumes,’ Elton says with a sigh. What kept him alive, he now believes, was his ferocious work ethic. 'Most people, when they do drugs they stop touring and they disappear for two or three years. I still had my love of music, still wanted to tour. If I hadn’t, I probably would have sat at home, had a mountain of coke, and had a heart attack.’
Diabolical Knighthood Material.
The British rock star Elton John has been knighted by the Queen in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
Elton Hercules John became Sir Elton for his services to British pop music and his work in raising money for AIDS charities.
After his investiture, he said "They don't come much bigger than this."
"They don't come much bigger than this"
But the man who moved millions with his performance of Candle in the Wind at the funeral of Princess Diana is perhaps not as famous as he once thought. "Sir John Elton," announced the Lord Chamberlain as the rock star approached the Queen to be knighted.
Dressed for the occasion
Sir Elton, renowned for his flamboyant outfits, was soberly dressed in a formal suit. He took his parents and partner, David Furnish, to watch him kneel before the Queen and be dubbed on each shoulder with the investiture sword.
"I've had a long career and worked hard," he said outside the Palace. "But I think the turning point came in 1990 when I got sober and started to do some charity work, particularly for the Aids problem. A knighthood is the icing on the cake."
He said the Queen had apologised for interrupting his busy schedule.
"She said I must be terribly busy," headded. "But this is not the sort of thing you put off. I flew back from LA yesterday and I'm going to Australia on Thursday, but there was no way I would miss this."
From suburbia to stardom
Born Reginald Dwight in the north London suburb of Pinner, Sir Elton's extravangant lifestyle and moving ballads have made him one of the world's most enduring rock acts.
The singer moved millions at Princess Diana's funeral
His emotional performance of his re-written "Candle in the Wind" sold 33 million copies making it the world's top-selling single and has raised £20m ($33.4m) for Diana's memorial fund.
Other hits include "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "Song for Guy" and "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues".
Holding up the knighthood insignia, he said: "I love my country and to be recognised in such a way - I can't think of anything better."
I Quote The Enemy:
"Candle in the Wind" was expected to debut high on the charts, partly due to its tribute to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. It became the fastest-selling single in the UK, selling 658,000 copies in its first day of release, and over 1.5 million copies in its first week.
The single remained at number one for 5 weeks, and it eventually sold 4.9 million copies in the UK, overtaking the 13-year-old record held by Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?". It has been certified as the best-selling single of all time in the UK.
The chart success in the United States was similar. Released on 22 September 1997, "Candle in the Wind" debuted at number one on the Billboard 100, with first week sales at 3.5 million copies.
The album/single stayed at the top of the charts for 14 consecutive weeks, a record for a male solo artist. It has the biggest sales for any song sold within a single calendar year when it sold 8,111,000 physical copies in 1997.
The best-selling single in Billboard history, and the only single ever certified Diamond in the United States, the single sold over 11 million copies in the U.S."
Text of Sir Elton John’s Address at AIDS 2012
Sir Elton John
Keynote Address
International AIDS Conference
July 23, 2012
Thank you, Luiz, and good afternoon to you all.
I’m extremely honored to be here.
I’d like to begin with a story.
It’s the story of a young man coming to terms with his sexuality.
A young man who got mixed up in drugs and drink.
He took chances with unprotected sex, and he was at very high risk of contracting HIV.
This young man hit absolute rock bottom.
His life was a mess.
He was self-destructive.
He was angry.
He was spiraling out of control.
He should have died, to be honest. And he almost did.
But then, something amazing happened.
People showed him compassion and love.
People showed him respect and understanding.
People offered him a hand and a chance to get better.
And he DID get better. He turned everything around.
He has a wonderful life, a loving partner, and a beautiful son.
He’s been sober for 22 years.
Now, he’s standing in front of you giving this speech.
Ladies and gentlemen, by all rights, I shouldn’t be here.
I should be dead. Six feet under, in a wood box.
I should have contracted HIV in the 1980s and died in the 1990s.
Just like Freddie Mercury.
Just like Rock Hudson.
Just like so many friends and loved ones of yours and mine.
Every day, I wonder: how did I survive?
I don’t know the answer, and I never will.
But I do know WHY I’m here.
I’m here to deliver to you, and to anyone who will listen, the message that saved my life…
…the message that can save MILLIONS of lives if we put it to practice:
No matter who you are, or who you love…
No matter where you live, or how you live…
No matter what you have or haven’t done…
EVERYONE deserves compassion.
EVERYONE deserves dignity.
EVERYONE, EVERYONE, EVERYONE deserves love.
Why am I telling you this?
Because the AIDS disease is caused by a virus, but the AIDS epidemic is not.
The AIDS epidemic is fueled by stigma. By hate. By misinformation. By ignorance. By indifference.
There’s much talk now about the end of AIDS. And rightly so.
We CAN end AIDS, thanks to you. You have made it possible.
Because of your research and your advocacy, we have lifesaving treatment and prevention.
But that’s not good enough.
It isn’t good enough to beat this disease once and for all.
You know it, and I know it.
We need more than medicine. We need more than money.
We need LOVE.
If that word makes you uncomfortable, if it makes you a bit uneasy, let’s pick another.
Compassion. Kindness. Understanding. Empathy.
Call it whatever you’d like, but the idea is the same:
We need more humanity — more love — if we’re going to end AIDS.
I’ve just been to the unfolding of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, where I saw so much love for the dead.
What we need now is more love for the living.
Cynics might say, how can a sentiment possibly beat a virus?
That’s an easy question to answer — especially for the people in this room who have dedicated their lives to ending AIDS.
It’s been three decades of this epidemic, and we’ve seen how human beings react when those around them become HIV-positive.
There are some people who look at the sick and search for reasons to blame them.
She’s got HIV? It must be her fault. It’s because she’s a drug user, or a prostitute.
He has AIDS? It’s because he’s gay. Because he’s poor.
They must deserve it, these people.
They live immoral lives.
They deserve to be sick and to die, because they’ve brought it on themselves.
And then there are people who look at the sick and think of reasons to love them.
You’re ill? I’ll be ill one day, too.
You have personal struggles? So do I.
You’re dying? There will come a time when I am also dying.
How can I help you? How can I love you?
After thirty-one years and thirty million people gone, we have seen both responses, you and I.
We’ve seen hate in Uganda. Stigma in the Ukraine. Indifference in America.
We’ve seen gay people targeted, discriminated against, and even killed.
We’ve seen people living with HIV ostracized by their families and stigmatized by their communities.
We’ve seen AIDS orphans abandoned in the streets, children raped and abused.
It makes me sick, all of this fear — all of this ignorance and hate.
But we’ve also seen love, haven’t we?
We’ve seen monks working with drug addicts in Thailand.
Social workers helping HIV-positive prisoners.
Corporations putting lives ahead of profits.
We’ve seen Catholic nuns and priests helping sex workers in India…and I know that Jesus is smiling down on them despite what the Vatican may say!
We’ve seen George W. Bush and conservative American politicians pledge tens of billions to save the lives of Africans with HIV.
Think of all the love. Think of where we’d be without it.
Nowhere, that’s where. We’d be nowhere at all.
Thanks to all of this compassion, thanks to all of this love, more than 8 million people are on treatment.
Thanks to people who have chosen to care, and to act, we can see an end to this epidemic on the horizon.
It’s not a mirage. It’s real. It’s very, very real.
But it’s going to take a lot more compassion to get us there.
A hell of a lot more.
How exactly can compassion get us to our destination, some may ask?
Let me tell you.
Do you want to end new infections among injection drug users?
Well, you’re not going to do it by locking them up or leaving them to die of addiction or AIDS.
That only spreads the disease and the suffering.
We need to give these people support, clean needles, and treatment.
Instead of judging them, let’s help them.
Instead of despising them, we need to love them.
Do you want to curb new infections among MSM in Africa?
You’re not going to do it by stoning gay men and passing laws against homosexuality.
For Christ’s sake, this is the 21st century, not the 12th century!
Show compassion to ALL of your people, like President Joyce Banda of Malawi does.
If you show compassion, no one will be forced into the shadows.
If you show compassion, no one will be afraid to seek treatment.
Do you want to stop the epidemic in South Africa?
Then show compassion by telling those living with HIV to be proud of knowing their status.
That’s what the South African government is beginning to do — and it’s working.
We need to put our arms around people who are HIV-positive. Celebrate the actions of individual change. Celebrate people who are willing to get tested.
That’s the compassion that will help get everyone tested and on treatment.
Do you want to end the epidemic in America?
Then show compassion to those who can’t afford treatment and are on waiting lists to receive it.
Show compassion for HIV-positive people in Washington, DC, most of whom are poor and black and forgotten, even though they live in the capital of the richest and most powerful nation on earth.
America has shown so much love for those living with HIV in the developing world. If this country wanted to end new infections at home it could do so in a heartbeat.
All it takes is a bit more funding — a bit more understanding.
All it takes is dialogue and the power of words to change actions.
All it takes is the compassion that my friends Elizabeth Glaser and Elizabeth Taylor and Larry Kramer and Ryan White taught us about decades ago.
Maybe you think I’m naive. Maybe you think I’m off my rocker.
Here I am, telling an audience of 7,000 global health experts that we can end AIDS with love.
I know we need more than that.
We need prevention programs to be funded.
We need treatment programs to be expanded.
We need critical research to continue.
We need a vaccine to be discovered.
Everyone at this conference is united by the dream of universal treatment, prevention, and a vaccine.
We dream about it every day, you and I.
And god bless everyone who is working to make that dream a reality.
But even if our dream came true — even if we HAD a vaccine — it wouldn’t be enough.
A vaccine won’t end stigma in Eastern Europe.
A vaccine won’t end homophobia in Uganda.
A vaccine won’t end rapes in South Africa.
A vaccine won’t help poor people who can’t afford it in Asia.
A vaccine won’t change laws in America that criminalize those with HIV.
Science can stop the disease, but science ALONE can’t end the plague.
Yes, we now have accurate and inexpensive at-home tests for HIV.
But we can’t convince people to get tested if they feel that nobody cares about them.
Why would you bother if you’re told by society that your life doesn’t count?
Yes, we now have miraculous treatments that double as prevention.
But we can’t get those living with HIV on treatment if they’re afraid to disclose their status because of stigma or homophobia.
Yes, I hope and pray that we will discover a vaccine. We all do.
But we won’t get that vaccine to those in need if governments shun their most marginalized citizens.
THAT is why compassion is critical.
THAT is why love is the cure.
Millions of people around the world feel ashamed because of who they are, because of their HIV-positive status, because of their sexuality, because of their poverty.
They are ashamed because they feel they’ve done something wrong by how they live, or the disease they have, or who they love.
They feel subhuman, worthless, like they don’t matter at all.
Shame and stigma prevent them from getting help, from getting treatment, from protecting themselves in the first place.
I’ve felt that shame before.
It almost killed me.
It’s killing people all around the world, right now.
We have to stop it.
We have to replace the shame with love.
We have to replace the stigma with compassion.
No one gets left behind.
That is how we will end this plague.
In 1995, I released a song called “Believe.”
In one verse, I sing:
I believe in love, it’s all we’ve got
Love has no boundaries, no borders to cross
Love is simple, hate breeds
Those who think difference is the child of disease
I truly believe that love is the most powerful force in the world.
I know that from experience.
During the darkest days of my recovery from addiction, I was shown extraordinary compassion by people I didn’t even know.
People whose names I never even learned.
Nurses who worked at the clinic where I was receiving treatment.
Other patients who didn’t know me as Elton the rock star, only as Elton the addict.
Everyone around me was kind, everyone was compassionate, everyone was forgiving.
Their love changed my life. It saved my life.
The gift of love from a community of people who believe in you and support you — it’s the most remarkable gift you could ever receive.
It costs nothing at all, but it’s the most precious thing in the world.
Everyone deserves it.
Not nearly enough people receive it.
But we can do something about that, you and I.
We MUST do something about that.
And when we do, I promise you:
We will wake up from this 31-year nightmare into a brand new day.
Thank you"
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