DIVAS 2019 honored Grammy, Golden Globe, Emmy winning, and 10-time Oscar nominee Diane Warren at the 29th Annual DIVAS Simply Singing Gala. A tribute of her many hits was featured in the evening, which included performances by Rhonda Ross, Shanice and appearances by Brandy, LisaRaye McCoy, William Allen Young, Flame Monroe, Erica Ash and Deborah Joy Winans.
Created and produced by Tony Award-Winning Sheryl Lee Ralph, DIVAS Simply Singing! is the longest consecutive running musical AIDS benefit in the United States.
It stems from Sheryl’s deep concern for the lack of attention given to AIDS in the early years of its discovery and its potential to become a health risk not only for men but women and children. Continuing to serve as a loving tribute for those diagnosed with and affected by HIV/AIDs, the goal of this annual concert, DIVAS Simply Singing! is to erase stigma, raise awareness and promote HIV/AIDS prevention through arts and education.
The DIVA Foundation is a nonprofit charitable organization founded by Ralph in 1990 as a memorial to the many friends she lost to HIV/AIDS while in the original Broadway company of “Dreamgirls.” The organization focuses on generating resources and coordinating activities to create awareness of and combat against HIV/AIDS. The DIVA Foundation utilizes music and entertainment as a vehicle to inform, educate and erase the stigma still attached to this disease.
By Samantha Ofole-Prince
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