The Album That Changed A Generation Red Hot + Blue From John Garrison

Arroe Collins: Unplugged & Totally Uncut

Released in 1990, this iconic album was the music industry’s first major response to the AIDS epidemic. Featuring contemporary pop performers like U2, Sinéad O'Connor, The Neville Brothers, and Annie Lennox, reinterpreting the music of Cole Porter, one of the great American songwriters of the early 20th century, the album sold more than a million copies worldwide. In his book, Red Hot + Blue, John S. Garrison explores the powerful intersection of music, activism, and personal memory through the lens of this iconic 1990 album .More than just a tribute to Cole Porter; RED HOT + BLUE was a groundbreaking project that united artists across genres and generations in the fight against AIDS. Released at the height of the epidemic, the album’s fusion of contemporary and classic sounds served as both a fundraiser and a platform for activism raising millions of dollars for HIV/AIDS charities. Capturing both the joy and melancholy that accompany love during turbulent times. It re-imagined those iconic songs - including “Don't Fence Me In,” “Every Time We Say Goodbye,” “Night and Day” - not just to celebrate the composer but also to offer a shared vision for survival. Garrison writes, “the album needed to jar people, to urge them to speak openly about what it meant to love even when the virus made connection increasingly more precarious. Porter’s music gives voice to a man unafraid to announce his desire for affection, even from those who rejected him and even in a world where many people disapproved of his kind of love. I can’t imagine a more fitting voice for the music industry’s first major response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.” In his book, Garrison reflects on his life story through the lens of Porter's life and music to illuminate the emotional landscape we all navigate in the search for love.
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