Music mogul, BGT and X Factor judge, Simon Cowell, will get stars on board to release charity single for victims and families of the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy.
Simon Cowell has said that watching “chilling” footage from the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire moved him to add his support by releasing a charity single.
The music mogul has pledged to record a new track within the next few days to help raise funds for those affected.
He told Good Morning Britain earlier today that he felt he could not “do nothing” after seeing this week’s harrowing news reports.
He said, " “I was watching the news and then I drove up to see the building which is only round the corner from me. I’ve seen a lot of bad things.... it sent chills through me. Seeing the building it made a big impact."
He added that he was incredibly moved to see the wall where local residents have been writing messages to loved ones as well as voicing their anger over the terrible tragedy that has claimed the lives of at least 17 residents with the death toll expected to rise significantly.
He said, "I think the thing that really hit home to me was seeing that wall and those messages and then when I saw how the local residents immediately turned up with water and clothes and offers of shelter and everything else and that’s when I thought, I’m not just going to sit here and do nothing. For me in my position, not to do something would be appalling. So I wrote to all the record label heads and I basically said let’s all work together, there’s a bigger cause here."
Simon said he had already been in touch with record label chiefs about recording the track over the weekend, but had yet to decide on a song or which artists to involve.
The father of one continued: “We’ve already had a lot of people call in and say they would love to do it. If they can't come to the studio then we can record them from anywhere in the world." He added, “(The song choice) has to have the right message, it has to mean something to the people affected by what happened. I do genuinely believe this will make a difference. I hope it will prick a few people’s consciousness and it might spur someone on to do something else.”
His comments on Good Morning Britain came just hours after he announced the idea over social media.
Celebrity musicians have already taken it upon themselves to reach out to stricken residents of the London tower block.
Adele visited people at the site, while Lily Allen offered lifts and a bed for those in need and TV chef Jamie Oliver reportedly offered free meals at his nearby restaurant.
Simon is known for his support of various causes and charities, including being a patron of Together For Short Lives, a charity for children with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions.
In 2010 he produced a charity single, Everybody Hurts, for the victims of the Haiti earthquake.
The REM hit was re-recorded by a host of stars including Mariah Carey, Rod Stewart, Cheryl, Michael Buble, Kylie Minogue and Susan Boyle.
