Beverley Knight has opened up about losing a gay friend to AIDS-related illness, as she becomes the new Patron of HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust.
The beloved soul singer was announced today as the new Patron of the charity, which offers support, information and advice services for those living with HIV.
Explaining her decision, the singer opened up about her relationship with Tyrone Jamison, a gay man who died of an AIDS-related illness in 2003.
She said: “I lost a very good friend, Tyrone, in 2003 from an AIDS-related illness, and that loss still affects me very deeply now.
“Tyrone leaned on Terrence Higgins Trust quite heavily because of his own HIV status, and he’s the person that brought the charity and their great work to my attention.
“Today, HIV is not the death sentence it once was. Treatment works very effectively, meaning people who are HIV positive can live very long, very happy and very fulfilled lives – but as long as they know they have HIV and have treatment, and that’s the key.”
Beverley explained that her last album Soulsville features a track dedicated to Tyrone’s memory, titled ‘When I See You Again’.
She said: “I think the main challenge around HIV is stigma – stigma is terrible.
“It’s a real problem because until we get past the stigma we can’t get people to admit to themselves that they could or do have the virus, and therefore need to have a test and get effective treatment.
“Some people just don’t think it will ever happen to them, so that’s why HIV awareness needs to be at the forefront of people’s minds now more than ever.”
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