Tony Cowell
Simon Cowell speaks about the charity single he decided to produce after visiting the site of the Grenfell Tower blaze...
If anyone in the music business can persuade the likes of Robbie Williams, Pete Townshend, Brian May, Roger Daltrey and Matt Goss to drop everything and come together as a supergroup to help others, my brother, Simon, can. They
recognise that he would put his heart and soul into producing a charity single destined to sell millions and provide some tangible help for the families of the tragic Grenfell Tower fire in London.
Besides, Simon has done this before. In 2010, he masterminded a charity single to help raise funds after the earthquake in Haiti. I was there that day, in the same studio where Artists For Grenfell recorded a cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water last week – Sarm Studios in London’s Notting Hill.
This time, however, the horror was much closer to home. Grenfell Tower is a five-minute drive from Simon’s house. He was moved by what he witnessed on the morning after the fire, and was determined to pay tribute to the victims of this disaster.
He told me, ‘The song choice was really important, because it had to be sincere, it had to have the right message and it had to be a respectful tribute. I genuinely believe it will make a difference.
‘ Bridge Over Troubled Water felt appropriate regarding the message of support we wanted to send to everyone affected by the tragedy. We also added some new lyrics.’
He added, ‘All the artists involved were unbelievable. That’s the thing about this country – when something like this happens, everybody comes together and you see the good in people. Everyone has seen it on the news – it was horrific. I stayed up the whole night it happened because I just couldn’t sleep.
‘In the morning, I drove down to see the site for myself, and it was appalling.
‘It was then that I had the idea to do a record. I started making calls at 4am, and the response was unbelievable. The phone didn’t stop ringing.
‘ When I first heard the
finished track, I thought it sounded beautiful. I got chills – perhaps because I had seen first-hand what had happened. ‘I think what really hit home was seeing that wall with all those messages written on it, and how people turned up [to help] with water and clothes. It’s a memory that will stay with me – and I hope we can really make a difference. ’ The star-studded Artists For Grenfell line-up included Stormzy, Rita Ora, Louis Tomlinson, James Arthur, Liam Payne, Pixie Lott, Paloma Faith, Craig David, Brian May, Roger Daltrey, Jessie J, James Blunt, Leona Lewis, Louisa Johnson, Matt Terry and Emeli Sandé. Robbie Williams even flew back from the Dublin leg of his tour to record the opening line of the song. Robbie said, ‘It all went incredibly well. It was a mental few days for everybody. It was buzzing in the studio, but there’s so much more to be done to help these families. I just hope we’ve done our bit.’
The Who’s Pete Townshend also told of his personal connection to Grenfell Tower.
‘I knew families who lived in that building,’ he said. ‘A mother lost her daughter, and two little girls were in comas. Then there’s a little Spanish girl who studies the piano. They’d got her piano up 10 flights [of stairs] and, of course, it’s gone now. I’ve got her a new one. But it was all just so heartbreaking.’
Emeli Sandé, who was in the studio in the shadow of Grenfell Tower to record her part on the track, said, ‘It’s hard not to feel helpless. The song reminds me just how powerful music and lyrics can be. I’m happy I could give my voice and my passion. I hope we can bring people together with this song.’
Simon will always have his critics, but ‘Mr Nasty’ left the building long ago. I’ve only known him as the generous man with a big heart, and one of the few people capable of making a real difference after a tragedy like Grenfell. l If you’d like to make a donation, visit artistsforgrenfell.com. All donations, and proceeds from the track, will be distributed via The London Community Foundation.