JB: I bet. Tell us more, please.
EB: I became more acutely aware of some of the harsh realities in the world as well as my own mortality, strength and ability to care for someone who is suffering. Fortunately, through it all, our housekeeper, Theresa Henderson, continued to help me raise the kids for the next several years. Otherwise, I was on my own and it was hard.
It was thirteen years before I wrote my next song, this time, by myself, called Daddy's Little Girl when my father died from Alzheimer's. The floodgates opened after that. I began to write songs about my family and life experiences and discovered that I had a lot to say. Songwriting brought an opportunity to express my life and beliefs about injustices in the world. Though I have only been writing for a little over a decade and have a small catalog, the titles of my songs reflect my life and my passions.
JB: Even with your husband sick and dying, the two of you didn't back away from the fight. That must have been really difficult.
EB: Doug's older brother, Scott, was also born with severe hemophilia. They died within six months of each other. Scott died the day before Doug and I went to trial against the company that sold them the contaminated blood.
During the trial, we were like David against Goliath: Big Pharma and their entourage of lawyers! I vividly remember the court clerk, with tears in her eyes, reading the verdict that favored the blood company. AIDS wiped out an entire generation of hemophiliacs during that time. I had first-hand exposure to a powerful pharmaceutical company and the lengths that they would go to deny culpability for their actions, in this case, faulty blood-screening practices.
Doug left a beautiful legacy of strength of will, social activism and great courage. I put a quote from the rabbi's eulogy on Doug's gravestone: "It is easy to live life when it is good, but to die with courage, that is true strength". I later adapted those words into lyrics for my song, The Wooden Box.
During the two years that Doug was sick, he and I spoke regularly at churches, schools, synagogues and hospitals trying to dispel fears in the community. I read my poem to the President's Commission on AIDS when they came to Miami. The atmosphere in the country was one of hatred, homophobia and fear of people with AIDS. We decided to speak out in order to help people understand the disease, how not to be afraid and how to avoid contracting AIDS. After Doug died, I continued to speak out publicly for many years.
JB: Wow. What a story! In the midst of all this, you had three small children to care for. Was speaking out helpful in getting you through? How did you cope?
EB: At that time, there were so many misconceptions and so much unknown about AIDS, we never saw any other option but to speak out. We decided to go public in order to pave the way for our children so they would be able to move through their lives and go to school with confidence and without fear or secrecy. People appreciated our honesty but many had a misconception that AIDS was only a gay disease. So many people were not only suffering from the horrible effects of the disease but also had to deal with ignorance and family rejection. We were so grateful to have our family's unconditional love and support.
JB: Was anyone listening and open to what you had to say?
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