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Janet Jackson performs at World AIDS Day concert in Houston

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Published  December 2, 2023 5:50pm CST
Health
FOX 26 Houston

HOUSTON - World-renowned singer, songwriter, and actress Janet Jackson delivered a stunning performance in Houston for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation's World AIDS Day Concert on Friday.

NRG Arena was sold out and filled with enthusiastic fans as Jackson started the show with her 1997 hit song "Together Again," a tribute to a friend lost to AIDS and others affected by the virus. Proceeds from the concert's ticket sales contribute to AHF's HIV/AIDS awareness initiatives.

More musical artists and prominent figures such as rapper Willie D of the Geto Boys, recording artist and producer BeatKing, rapper Yungstar of the Screwed Up Click, acclaimed restaurateur Steve Rogers, U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, and prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump attended the event.

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World AIDS Day is an annual commemoration to honor those lost to HIV/AIDS, express support for individuals currently living with HIV/AIDS, and focus on the ongoing battle against the disease.

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HOUSTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 01: (L-R) Debbie Allen, Blair Underwood, Janet Jackson, and President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation of AHF Michael Weinstein attend World AIDS Day presented by AHF at NRG Arena on December 01, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images for AIDS Healthcare Foundation)

Debbie Allen, an Emmy, Grammy, and Golden Globe-winning choreographer, director, and producer took the stage to acknowledge those lost to AIDS over the past 40 years in an ‘In Memoriam’ tribute, including "boys from Fame."

AHF also bestowed its Lifetime Achievement Award to Emmy Award-winning actor and activist Blair Underwood, an advocate in the fight against HIV/AIDS for more than three decades.

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"The global HIV/AIDS response has fallen short over recent years due to COVID-19 and other competing global crises," said Michael Weinstein, AHF President and co-founder in a press release. "AHF holds this annual World AIDS Day event to draw attention to the cause because it’s not over. We call on all nations and global public health institutions to ensure the adequate resources and political will are available to fight HIV/AIDS."

In 2024, AHF says it will reach two million lives in care, and with 29.8 million people living with HIV, and 39 million worldwide, there is more work to be done.