Peeps!
I had the very humbling and extremely fun experience of being part of the annual ball for the The John Hartson Foundation this weekend. After fighting and overcoming a horrible battle with testicular cancer that spread through his body to his brain John went onto set up this incredible charity. He said to me last night that he feels it’s his mission now to support and help the men, women, kids and families who are suffering at the hands of this terrible disease. He feels it’s why he’s here now, to just love his family and help people facing what he and his family faced. My performance was a surprise for John as he hadn’t heard the song I’d written inspired by his story. I was glad to hear him say how much he enjoyed it and that it was overwhelming (in a good way;-) for himself and his wife, Sarah…..
It was an incredible night of laughs and fantastic, inspiring and moving performances and speeches. I feel so very privileged to have been part of such an event for such an impacting cause that is literally saving lives. I was asked to play a song called ‘All Heart Son (Please Don’t Go)’, which I wrote about 6 months ago for John and the foundation hoping they could maybe use it to help and further their work and publicity so it was really unexpected and special to actually be asked to come and perform at the ball.
So many people spoke to me and I was particularly moved by listening to three sets of parents who had lost children to cancer and who felt the song had helped them in some way. I really cannot think of something more significant and positive than to hear that my music might actually soothe, inspire or in any way help such heros going through such suffering. The room was just filled with incredible people, just a fantastic event all round rasing over £110,000! My deepest thanks goes out to the foundation for inviting and involving me and giving me such a beautiful opportunity. Particular thanks to Libby Emmerson, a legend of a woman who organised the night and who first picked up on my music.
Thanks to the foundation I was taken into the studio in Glasgow the night before the ball to record the song with local producer, Greg Friel, a top lad. We had a blast putting the song down over a few hours and hopefully we will see it released soon by the foundation as a tool for them to use to press on with their profoundly redemptive and heartening mission. The song belongs to John, his family and the foundation now, I guess in a way it always did.
If you’d like to find out more about the work of the foundation and support them just follow this link http://www.johnhartsonfoundation.co.uk/
Take care x Officer x