Erasure Singer Fights Ignorance With HIV Revelation

12/15/04 5:30pm

by David McDougall (CHARTattack)

Andy Bell, the singing half of pop duo Erasure, has released a statement to the press revealing his status as HIV-positive.

The performer has known of his condition for over six years, but only just decided to let the public in on his personal health, in the hopes of educating youth on the realities of AIDS.

"Being HIV does not mean that you have AIDS," Bell said in the statement. "My life expectancy should be the same as anyone else's, so there is no need to panic. I am feeling fine. In fact I have never felt better. There's still so much hysteria and ignorance surrounding HIV and AIDS — let's just get on with life, ie. making music, doing a live tour and generally having a good time."

Bell is successfully being treated with drug-combination therapy. He says he first found out about the condition when he suffered a bout of pneumonia while vacationing on the touristy Spanish island of Majorca in the summer of 1998. Since then, his long-time partner Paul Hickey (the two have been together for 20-years) has also been diagnosed as positive.

Though Bell hasn't spelled it out, his positive outlook seems to be a fairly recent development, and it will likely play a part in the sound of Erasure's new album, Nightbird, which is due out January 25. Last month he told MTV.com that his past few albums had been "a bit moody and down" and that his current happiness was evident in the music on the forthcoming disc.

Another reason for Bell's high spirits is the successful hip replacement surgery he underwent earlier in the year. The singer told Billboard.com that he was feeling revitalized in his new "bionic" form and that the group's next tour would be refreshing for audiences too — since the last few tours had been somewhat hindered by his extremely painful hip condition.

Bell and his musical partner Vince Clarke will kick off their new tour in Europe in early 2005, hitting North America in April and May.