Back in 2000, after working for a commercial radio station all my career, I was approached by a new Record Company to join them and be general manager and in charge of A&R youth development. I had only been in charge a short while when one day I received a call from a young guy called Clint Walters, to see if we could assist him some fund raising for his Charity HIFY.Yes I had heard of Clint but in the 10 years that followed I got to known him close and we were a support and strength for each other, sadly just over a week ago following a heart attack at the young age of 31, that Light in my Life and many others of Clint was taken away from us, leaving me devastated and still upset.
Clint had been diagnosed as HIV Positive just prior to his A Level exams at the tender age of 17, to be given such tragic news say with your Mother must have been devastating to Clint, but No he was determined to fight and also ensure that young people would have better access to information and health guidance that he felt he had. He immediately started to campaign and in no time he launched his Charity "Health Initiatives for the Young" HIFY - his Dream was to have a 24 Hour Clinic in central London which would be a place young people could go to and call for confidential advice and help. Even though Clint had his own health problems to compete with it did not stop his giving all his time for this important cause, at times when we would speak he would be so tired and you could tell he was not well, but that was not going to stop him.
In 2001 Clint was used in a poster campaign for World Aids Campaign with MTV, his image was used on posters and an advertising campaign. Clint spent time in the USA supported by The Winston Churchill Charity Trust, following the work being done with HIV so as to be able to bring it back and introduce it to the UK. However his health affected him he never stopped fund raising doing such as The London Marathon, a Challenge on TV which featured many fit athletes taking on some really big challenges of fitness around the world and being sponsored. Clint also did many tours visiting both Universities and Colleges and Schools in the UK to discuss HIV.
Clint and myself also shared a love for Soul Music, but he did also move into real Dance/Trance music and left me way behind at times. One project we discussed that many times was to write a book, I felt Clint was the complete right age and image that young people would be willing to read and listen, see what he had gone through, help raise awareness and at the same time give them strength to fight and be strong. But with Clint the book was always going to be started tomorrow, as he was always too busy, but tomorrow never came, something we laughed many times about.
So Sunday 4 April 2010 Clint was taken away from us, when I heard the news in an email I felt as I said as if a Light has been Turned Off in my Life and there was a real empty feeling. Never did I meet someone so genuine and dedicated to what they believed in, Clint was a True Inspiration and his passing will not affect this for many others and myself, it just saddens me that though Clint received so many big business promises and the 24 Hour Clinic got so close, it never did happen, neither the book!
I Hope Clint is in Peace now and that Light in my Life is an Angel looking down on us all, his Mother Wendy.
