She will donate all proceeds from sales of the single to Wishaw-based mental health charity Chris’s House, in honour of William.
A Blantyre mum has penned a charity World Cup single in honour of her son as she looks to raise funds for a local mental health organisation.
Gail Gillon lost her son, William, in 2022 and turned to writing as a source of solace during her grief.
After writing a poem for William’s eulogy, which later became a song, former Tartan Army member Gail discovered a passion for music and songwriting.
Now, working with Carluke-based musician and long-time friend Peter McAtamney, she has released a charity single ahead of Scotland’s World Cup campaign in the US this summer.
Titled Hearts of Tartan, the track celebrates Scotland’s first World Cup appearance in 28 years and pays tribute to Scott McTominay’s ‘audacious overhead kick’ against Denmark, which helped Steve Clarke’s side secure qualification for the tournament.
The 63-year-old former nurse and café owner, who is originally from Castlemilk and also spent part of her life living in Inverness, will donate all proceeds from sales of the single to Wishaw-based mental health charity Chris’s House, in honour of William.
Gail said: “Four years ago, I lost my son in tragic circumstances. I wanted to write something from the heart for his eulogy, although at the time I honestly didn’t know if I had it in me.
“I ended up writing a poem which later became a song, and through that process I realised I had a genuine passion for songwriting. It became a very cathartic outlet for grief and emotion.
“Fast forward to now, and I was inspired by the Scotland v Denmark game. I heard the phrase ‘an audacious overhead kick’ online and instantly knew there was a song in it – something that captured not only the match, but the emotion, pride and passion of the Scotland fans.
“Peter also has an incredible musical background of his own. In his younger years, he toured internationally after being recommended by The Prince’s Trust to travel to London, where he performed alongside artists including R.E.M., Atomic Kitten, the Spice Girls and Dave Stewart of Eurythmics fame.
“After hearing him sing, I knew he was the perfect voice for this track.
“We’ve released the song on Bandcamp for just 87p, with every penny going to Chris’s House in Wishaw.”
To buy Gail and Peter’s song visit: https://pedrotws.bandcamp.com/album/hearts-of-tartan-scotland-world-cup-26
And to find out more information about Chris’s House visit: www.chrisshouse.org
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