*Siedah Garrett on Friday (May 5) appeared at the 24th Annual Race To Erase MS Gala and performed a new song that she wrote specifically for the occasion. She also revealed for the first time that she, herself, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2012.
“I am coming out tonight. Five years ago I was diagnosed with MS,” the 58-year-old singer/songwriter told attendees gathered at the Beverly Hilton, according to Billboard.com. Prior to the fundraiser, her MS diagnosis was not made public.
Garrett made the announcement after being introduced as the first performer of the evening by Quincy Jones, who called her, “My beloved baby lady sister Siedah Garrett.”
She went on to sing “Man in the Mirror,” the smash hit she co-wrote with Glen Ballard for Michael Jackson, and then premiered her new single “Carry On” with David Foster, Shawn Hook, Olivia Keegan, David Osmond and Trevis Brendmoe.
Later, Siedah went with Billboard backstage and opened up about the diagnosis. “I was devastated because I was past the time when you normally get, I was past the age group where MS shows up,” Garrett said. “But when I think about it, I’ve been having symptoms for a long time and didn’t really know.”
But the diagnosis isn’t slowing her down creatively. Garrett is currently writing music for the upcoming documentary, “Mully.” Due in November, the film follows the life story of Dr. Charles Mully, a man who was abandoned by his family in Kenya at age six and went on to become a successful multimillionaire who rescued thousands of abandoned children.
Race To Erase MS Gala, hosted by Kathy Griffin, raised $1.6 million to benefit Race to Erase MS and its Center Without Walls program.
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