Elton John remembers Ryan White at his AIDS gala

Elton John remembered AIDS sufferer Ryan White on the red carpet of his annual AIDS foundation benefit.

It's been more than 20 years since the Indiana teenager died of the disease after contracting it though a blood transfusion, but the singer said on Monday that it was a turning point in his life, which was "out of whack."

"Six months after Ryan died I decided that was it," John said.

It made him begin thinking about starting a foundation and "giving something back and making up for lost time."

Established in 1992, the Elton John AIDS Foundation continues its global humanitarian efforts to help raise money for a variety of services for HIV/AIDS. The celebrity list included Brooke Shields, Lance Bass and Stevie Nicks and raised $2 million (Dh7.34 million).