You can help restore never-before-heard songs from musician & pioneering AIDS activist Michael Callen
Larry Kramer for use in his groundbreaking play, The Normal Heart.Sadly, Callen himself succumbed to the disease in 1993, but left behind an undeniable legacy that has helped shape the empowered LGBTQ+ community of today.Despite his achievements and activism, Callen’s name is not one you hear much these days, at least not among younger generations.
Which is why we’re thrilled to report on a new effort to restore some of his music—an opportunity to introduce his voice to new ears, so that his life and legacy can continue to be celebrated for years to come.Recently, Callen’s long-time collaborator and romantic partner Richard Dwokim has begun the process of remastering a collection of never-released songs from the musician’s archives, and has set up an IndieGoGo page to seek help with funding for the endeavor.“I wonder if they ever look down on me, my brothers and the world and think, Wow, I’m proud!”As Dwokim writes, prior to Callen’s passing in ’93, the two of them “worked furiously to record and mix four dozen songs.” Eventually 29 of those tracks made it to the double-album Legacy, which was released posthumously in ’96.“Thirty years after that frantic year of frenzied activity,” Dwokim continues, “it’s finally time for the remainder of Michael’s recorded output to be released.” While the IndieGoGo has already reached its initial goal of $6k—enough to master the full album complete packaging and production on a “couple hundred” physical CDs—there’s still a chance to donate and help preserve an important part of our queer history.
