A musician will release a heartfelt tribute to his father, who sadly passed away from a "crippling condition", later this week.
Singer and songwriter Ben Drake, of Barton-le-Clay, will release 'There' on Friday, April 16 in support of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust - a charity that aims to support those suffering with the "debilitating and life-limiting illness," idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Ben's dad Barry passed away aged 67 in September, after bravely battling IPF for four years.
Ben remembers that on some occasions, Barry would struggle to get out of bed, but on other days his dad would be up and trying to exercise, showcasing his fighting spirit until the very end.
'There' - which is dedicated to Barry - is described as "a tender song of loss and reflection" by independent label Blaggers Records.
Ben, who has played at popular Hitchin venues such as Club 85, said: "I am incredibly humbled and honoured to have been made an Ambassador for the PF Trust in my dad’s memory.
"I am also excited to be releasing a single which will go some way towards helping those battling this crippling condition which, as of right now, has no cure."
%image(15621061, type="article-full", alt="Ben Drake's new song 'There' is described as "a powerful, moving track which addresses a personal and heartbreaking subject with grace"")
All proceeds from streams, downloads and digital sales will be going directly to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Tust, of which Ben has become an ambassador.
Since losing his dad, Ben has been working to help raise awareness of the essential service that the PF Trust does to help support patients and their families living with the condition.
In 2012, about 32,500 people had pulmonary fibrosis in the UK.
Ben added: "Grief seems to grab you when you least expect it, and it doesn’t care what you are doing or where you are.
"It is incredibly difficult to accept that this brave, strong man is gone, but I want to play my part in helping others through music and supporting the charity“.
Released this Friday via Blaggers Records, 'There' is available on all streaming services along with a lyric video on YouTube.
You can pre-save the song by clicking here, or searching https://lnk.to/bcc-there
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