Auto - Immune Deficiency Syndrome, and it's cause, Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome, affected 40 million people in 2000. But in the late eighties and early nineties, it was still seen as a disease affecting only homosexuals and drug addicts contracting the disease from dirty needles. The way the disease works is that it weakens your immune system, making you vulnerable to diseases. Most of the diseases aren't fatal to begin with, but the sad part is that many can become that way when your immune system starts to collapse.

        Julie Larson was five years old when her brother, Jonathan, was born. Her parents, Al and Nan Larson, were ecstatic. Jonathan was born in a suburb in New York called White Plains on February 4th, 1960. He went to school in White plains all of his life. His best friend throughout school was Matt O'Grady, who inspired the character Angel. Both Jonathan and Matt went to White Plains High School and were active in the music and drama departments. Jonathan Larson went to Adelphi University in long Island, New York, all the while maintaining his friendship with Matt. He met his girlfriend, Victoria Peacocks, at Adelphi. She helped him direct some of his works such as "Superbia" and  "tick...tick...BOOM!"

       Jonathan worked at the Moondance Diner on the weekends for ten years. On the weekdays, he wrote songs for RENT and Superbia, and his monologue "Boho Days", which was later re - titled "tick...tick...BOOM!" Jonathan had to find talent for his magnum opus RENT wherever he could. When Anthony Rapp was cast as Mark, he was working in a Starbuck's, and when he auditioned for RENT, he sang REM's "Losing My Religion"... and screwed up a verse! Jesse L. Martin had lunch at the Moondance Diner and later was cast as Tom Collins in both the Broadway and movie versions of RENT.

       Jonathan Larson loved to write music. He even wrote for shows like Sesame Street and a kid's movie called "Away We Go!" It took him through a lot to create his most renowned masterpiece, "RENT". He took it the New York Theater Workshop and they workshopped it there (1994). After two years of hard work, "RENT' was ready to open. The ads started on January 25th. The newly appointed "RENT heads" were waiting in lines for tickets to opening night.

       Jonathan Larson was at rehearsal the night before his masterpiece was scheduled to open. He collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. Everyone, including Jonathan himself., wrote it off as nerves. It made sense, his musical was to premiere off - Broadway the next night! Jonathan left rehearsal and went home. At 3 A.M. the morning "RENT" was to premiere, Jonathan Larson went to his kitchen to make himself tea. He collapsed and later died of an aortic aneurysm. The aneurysm was linked to a disease called Marfan's Syndrome, which probably explained his unusual height.

         Jonathan Larson, everyone knew, would have wanted his play to be broadcasted to the public, whether he was there or not. Therefore, "RENT" the musical premiered on February 13th, 1996. It received rave reviews and was moved to the Nederlander Theater, on Broadway, on April 29th, 1996.

        Jonathan Larson did not have AIDS, or HIV. But he knew many who did. Matt O'Grady, his best friend from childhood on up, had contracted AIDS. He also had a group of friends at Adelphi, made up of his friends Alison, Pam, Sue, and another friend. Alison, Pam, and Sue all died from AIDS. Before Jonathan died, however, he contributed to the Alison Gertz Foundation the best way he could; he wrote a song. "Love Heals", sung by the cast of RENT, is on the movie's soundtrack.

       Jonathan Larson was extremely happy, kind, thoughtful and gracious. He had an air about him that made you want to laugh. He loved children, and music, and laughter. And in today's world of denial and betrayal about diseases like AIDS, Jonathan is one honest man that will be truly missed.