--written by Jeanne Pisano and Dianne Reeves

Somehow those lyrics just resonate with me, "I know where my voice belongs!"

For the past 25 years I have been speaking up and out about HIV/AIDS. Why? Well, let's go back 29 years. Dec. 20, 1981. I opened on Broadway in what has become the iconic musical of the '80s, 'Dreamgirls.'

'Dreamgirls' was the best and worst of all times for me. The best of course was being an original Dreamgirl, creating the role of Deena Jones, being nominated for the prestigious Tony Award (and a list of others) as best actress, sharing the stage each and every night with some of the most talented people of a generation, including my dear friends Loretta Devine and Jennifer Holliday.

It was such an exciting, magical time. And night after night, audiences stood to their feet, showering us with the kind of applause that let you know that you were loved, really, truly loved. You couldn't get a cab home once the curtain came down, but that's another story for another day. This was one of the best times in my life!

And in the middle of those good times came the worst.

"I am an endangered species but I sing no victim song. I am a woman, I am an artist and I know where my voice belongs."
-Written by Jeanne Pisano and Dianne Reeves

Somehow that lyric just resonates with me, "I know where my voice belongs!" Because for the past twenty five years I have been speaking up and out about HIV/AIDS. WHY? Well, let's go back twenty seven years. On December 20th, 1981, I opened on Broadway in what has become the iconic musical of the 80's, 'Dreamgirls.'

Dreamgirls was the best and worst of all times for me. The best of course was being an original Dreamgirl, creating the role of Deena Jones, being nominated for the prestigious Tony Award (and a list of others) as Best Actress, sharing the stage each and every night with some of the most talented people of a generation including my dear friends Loretta Devine and Jenifer Holiday.

It was such an exciting, magical time. And night after night, audiences stood to their feet, showering us with the kind of applause that let you know that you were loved, really, truly loved. You couldn't get a cab home once the curtain came down, but that's another story for another day. This was one of the best times in my life!

And in the middle of those good times came the worst. The worst was when men, gay men up and down Broadway just started dropping dead of a mystery disease. They died one right after the other. Friends and cast members just got sick and died. They were sick today and dead tomorrow. They got sick, some of them developed those strange purple marks and they died. There was no dying process like the one we have become accustomed to nowadays. No "cocktail" mixture of pills to ward off one infectious disease or the other. They just got sick and they died.