AIDS related songs not from RENT

Ladies and gentlemen of the board,

I am part of an organization which is attempting to hold a fund raiser to help AIDs awareness. However, the narrow and shortminded people I work with seem to think that the only songs ever to grace a stage in relevance to AIDS are those from Rent! Please post some AIDS related songs not from Rent and prove these people wrong...

In addition, while i may not be a "Renthead" i did enjoy the musical and nothing against it... on the same note i do not think it is the "be all end all" musical those im working with seem to think it is. Not to mention this benefit would go up after the Rent film comes out and i feel that doing a song form a musical people could just pay a few bucks to see in a film is tactless and un-original... but then again thats just me.

Any help is appreciated...

`Thank you

Updated On: 10/14/05 at 04:15 PM

Well, Falsettos, obviously.

There is also a musical called QUILT - with songs based the stories of several of the AIDS victims who have patches on thr AIDS Quilt.

Not necessarily dealing with AIDS, but there are a ton of songs out there about coping and loss - which although might not have been written in that regard, could certainly work in a concert setting.

Check out LITTLE WOMEN - I think there are two songs from there that would work, although I'm sure you could find some better songs out there.

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The full title to Quilt is Quilt: A Musical Celebration. I can't remember who the author is, but I know that most of his website is about this show, so I bet if you googled it you could come up with something.

Another show that isn't dealing with AIDS, but deals with sickness, fear and loss is A New Brain. The mother has a fabulous song about her son.

It's 'Yard Sale' by Tom Andersen. It's a heartbreaking story song that Tom wrote about running into a young man with AIDS who's selling his possessions in San Francisco. It won the 1998 MAC Award (cabaret's Oscar) for Song of the Year. Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune has called 'Yard Sale' 'a tour de force ... one of the most searing songs dealing with AIDS,' and Billboard raved about it, too. Tom recorded 'Yard Sale' on his own CD, 'The Journey,' and Australian cabaret star David Campbell recorded it, too, on his 'Taking the Wheel' album. Broadway's Sean McDermott once sang it at his show at Joe's Pub, and it's even been performed by a military band at West Point.

'Yard Sale' has been sung and performed at AIDS events across America, as well as in England, Ireland and Australia. For more info, click onto Original Songs at www.tomandersen.com.
Official Web site: Tom Andersen

While is is not from the stage, Reba McEntire has a song called, "She Thinks His Name Is John." It could be it's own little mini musical. HIGHLY depressing, though.

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TEAM AMERICA

"Lease"

"draw me a door" from "Radiant Baby" by Debra Barsha et al. Is brilliant and moving!

"Help is on the way"
I don't know any technical information about it, but it's the song that always closes the Easter Bonnet

Forget the songs-
Go see a new play at 59 east 59th. It is a show everyone should see.
In The Continnuum.

Apparently "Love is not a Reason" was a song that Peter Allen wrote because of AIDS and it is sung in The Boy From Oz when Greg says he has AIDS.
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"As my plastic surgeon always said. If you gotta go, go with a smile."
-Batman

To follow up on BroadwayStar2B's suggestion, 'Help Is on the Way' is David Friedman, recorded on the CD 'Beautiful Baby' by the incomparable Nancy LaMott. It's not about AIDS per se, but it's an inspirational song of hope.

Two other beautiful AIDS songs that have made the N.Y. cabaret rounds: 'My Brother Lived in San Francisco' by Bill Russell and Janet Hood and 'Do Not Turn Away' by John Bucchino.