future. “I watched friends of mine die of AIDS
before anyone could help them. It was so
painful to watch what happened to those
beautiful souls. I have so much respect for
Elton and I will always support what he does
to help others,” she says.
A quick flick through Instagram shows just
what a star Hilary has now become. Diana
Ross, Amy Adams, Damian Lewis and Miley
Cyrus all feature with her and the singer is
seen at star-studded parties, music awards,
premieres and, of course, Elton John’s AIDS
Foundation Academy Awards. She still has
to pinch herself now and then, but it is what
she sees as her purpose as a celebrity that
remains her true focus.
“People look at us and think we have no
problems whatsoever. It’s so far from the truth.
We’ve lost people like Kate Spade [fashiondesigner] and Anthony Bourdain [chef]. My job,
no matter what happens, is to be a love and
light to the world. That is my legacy and that
is the most important thing.”
Music is everything to Hilary which, she
says, can be a loving message to anyone
who will listen. She shared her struggle with
alcoholism, drug addiction and depression in
her hit single There For You, while Back To Life
was a reawakening. She says, “Life has more
for us. Leave fantasy and negative thinking
behind. Reality is the beauty and the love that
is here on this planet.”
Her new single will shine a light on the
people who help others. In the meantime, the
singer is planning her next trip across the
Atlantic to see her friends. “Annie has seen me
reach my dreams. I am so grateful I put aside
my negative thoughts and had the courage to
walk towards my dream. This is what I was
meant to do. She helped me in my darkest
times. Now I’ve helped her,” she says.Fight To The Other Side is out now.S MAGAZINE ★ 18 AUGUST 2019 29
INTERVIEW
“I’d gone
through horrible
hear tbreak – the
type that puts you
in a foetal position
on the floor”
●SKELLY WILLIAMS / GETTY IMAGES