Actress- Activist- Humanitarian Marsha Hunt writes a beautiful song to support Marriage Equality and Acceptance of LGBT rights.

Marsha Hunt knows a thing or two about discrimination and hate. In 1950, her name appeared in a right wing publication called “Red Channels”, naming her as a Communist sympathizer. After 54 films in 17 years, her film career came to a quiet halt as did her radio and burgeoning television career. At the time Red Channels was published, the Hollywood Reporter had reported that film actress Marsha Hunt had done more television acting than any other actor in Hollywood. Once Red Channels came out, she and 150 others in Hollywood suffered for years because of the untruths and innuendos that this right wing pamphlet published.

Marsha could have allowed this setback to destroy her life but fortunately fate stepped in and showed her a way to channel her creative energy. She used her acting skills and her name as a celebrity to affect change in the world. After a trip around the world in 1955 where she saw abject poverty , she came home determined to become a “planet patriot”. She got involved with the United Nations Association and spent over 25 years educating Americans about the UNA and its specialized agencies that helped people help themselves. Actually, Marsha has been a human rights activist since World War II when she visited hospitals, sold war bonds and went on a USO tour of the Arctic. She was one of Hollywood’s very first celebrity activists. Over the last 60 years, she has fought for the homeless, the mentally ill and refugees.

Not many people know that Marsha is a prolific songwriter. She has written over 50 songs to date. There is one song I want to tell you about that is very near and dear to Marsha. In the 1980’s, while driving home from a speaking event, a “melody” played in her head. She went home and wrote out the music. For thirty years, that music played in her head before she decided to put WORDS to that music. At age 95, the words just poured out of her. At the time, the whole marriage equality issue was playing in the press for the first time. She was frustrated that she had gay friends who couldn’t get married legally. So she wrote this song ”Here’s To All Who Love” which says “Here’s To all the lovers, here’s to all who love..never mind their gender, their love will rise above...” see attached sheet music in the photo gallery above...)

Marsha has ALWAYS believed in allowing people to follow their hearts and speaks their minds without any fear of repercussions. THIS is the true meaning of her song. Marsha will be the first to tell you that she did NOT exclusively write the song about marriage equality. That is a part of what the song is about. The MAIN message Marsha wants people to know is that the song is about “loving love” and “hating hate” and ACCEPTANCE of ALL people’s lifestyles, LGBT AND everyone else on the planet but with an emphasis on accepting LGBT lifestyles which includes marrying who you want, regardless of gender. I call this song Marsha’s version of “Free To Be You & Me”

In honor of Gay Pride Month, Marsha would be SO honored if you would share the lyrics and these videos below with friends , family LGBT activists. Lets get the song out there in the world. Perform it at your wedding, gay or straight. Make your own video performing the song and share with those you love we MUST fight hate and, fear and ignorance. THIS IS WHY MARSHA WROTE THE SONG.. If you should make a video performing her song “Here’s To All Who Love”, please send link to memos57@aol.com and I’ll make sure Marsha sees it.

Here’s two links to the song..one with a story by Marsha about genesis of song then the song performed by Paul McDonald on piano and Bill A. Jones, vocal - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRVOnDZpQ-M

and one with just the song as sung by Marsha’s friend Bill A. Jones from the TV show “Glee” https://vimeo.com/83788657

Here’s a version that Carol MacArthur performed at a fundraiser. She made the song her own - more “folk song’ like... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCkyAmrw8wE

Here’s a version sung by a men’s choir in Cincinnati last June: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATF1toN8olw

I’ve tried so hard to make these videos go viral..Marsha wants the WORLD to know about her song. THIS song represents the culmination of everything she has worked for in her career as a humanitarian and activist. She is getting letters from all over the world, from people who are having the song performed at their weddings, gay and straight. I’d love to see the song performed by Bono and Cyndi Lauper, maybe Judy Collins. maybe someone can do an album to raise $$ for LGBT causes. ( And I’d love to get Marsha and the song on “Ellen” or other talk shows)

One more interesting story about Marsha. In 1950, Marsha appeared in a start studded radio broadcast for UN Radio. The program was directed by her dear friend Norman Corwin. The subject was about The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Ironically, in the broadcast, she plays Juliet who pleas with her father to let her marry Romeo, her choice for a husband. Her father wants her to marry a man she doesnt know and Juliet begs her father to let her marry the man she loves. One of the provisions of the Declaration of Human Rights as written by the United Nations is that a person should be able to marry whom they want, and not be shackled by an “arranged” marriage. How ironic that all these years later, she wrote this song! Here’s Marsha talking about the radio program

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOkB2kCL7ps

80 years ago, this May 10th, Marsha was ”discovered” while on a trip to Hollywood. She signed with Paramount Pictures and then went on to do 25 films for MGM. (She is the last person alive in the 1942 MGM cast photo as well as the last person alive from the Committee for the First Amendment trip to Washington in 1947) Fortunately, our feature documentary on her life and career will be hitting film festivals this fall. While Marsha has had a rewarding career as an activist and an actress, she is so afraid that people will ONLY remember her for being blacklisted The blacklist has been her “ball and chain” for almost 70 years. The good news is that the documentary will open people’s eyes to the insanity of the blacklist but people will walk away being INSPIRED by her life as an activist. As she is almost 98, I want to to do everything possible to honor Marsha for her lifelong commitment to the planet as a “planet patriot” ANYTHING you can do to get the message out regarding her song, you would be making her so very happy! Lets fight fear, hate and ignorance. PLEASE listen to the words of this beautiful song and DO make a video. It would warm Marsha’s heart!!