23 Black Gay R&B Legends Who Died From HIV/AIDS

23 Black Gay R&B Legends Who Died From HIV/AIDS In the 1980s, the name “HIV/AIDS” was a death sentence – especially if you were a black gay man. They were considered unclean, outcasts, and when they died, their names were erased from public memory. One man, once hailed as “the golden voice of the decade,” died with only a nurse holding his hand in his final moments. Another – a 1970s funk icon – was turned away by his colleagues, disowned by his family, and smeared by the media as a “social worm.” But that’s just the surface. There are more heartbreaking, more painful stories behind the scenes about 23 black gay R&B singers who died of HIV/AIDS that you’ve never heard. And if your heart aches for justice, leave a comment. #blackcelebrities #memorylane