The Overtones mourn the loss of drug-driven Timmy

The last few months have been a difficult period for UK vocal group The Overtones. On April 9, lead singer Timmy Matley fell to his death from the 13th floor balcony of a friend’s apartment in Poplar, east London.“We were in shock,” admitted bass singer Lachie Chapman. “We couldn’t believe we would never again be with him. He was just 36. Everyone who knew Timmy loved him. He was such a special person, our Irish angel.”Timmy had been diagnosed with stage three malignant melanoma skin cancer in 2016. He spoke openly about his illness and treatment. But he had responded well to treatment and his death had nothing to do with the cancer. Sadly, for all of the qualities which made him so popular, Timmy was foolish enough to dabble in drugs. It was this which led to his death.Timmy arrived at his friend’s home after taking the Class A drug crystal meth. Under the influence of this narcotic, Timmy somehow found himself locked out on the balcony. He attempted to climb down to the balcony below, something he certainly wouldn’t have done if the drug was not in his system. He lost his grip and died from what was described as multiple traumatic injuries.At the time, his bandmates announced Timmy’s death on their social media webpages expressing their shock and sadness. But in their own words, they “hid under a rock” for some while before deciding to resume their career with a self-titled album which would effectively pay tribute to their deceased colleague.“It was very hard,” admitted falsetto singer Darren Everest. “But we felt like we couldn’t just quit. We’d had an amazing eight years together since we signed our record deal and got such a big hit with our debut album, Good Ol’ Fashioned Love. If we’d given up, it would have just compounded Timmy’s death. We owed it to him and our fans to move forward as best we could.”Timmy, Darren and middle harmony singers Mark Franks and Mike Crawshaw had performed together for many years. They were in a vocal group called DYYCE and then Lexi Joe with whom they auditioned for the X Factor television talent show in 2009. They were eliminated at the final 24 stage but later met Lachie and reformed as a five-piece band under their current name.Darren had the idea of starting a painting and decorating company so they could practice together while working. The boys were painting a shop in London when they were heard by a Warner Bros. Records talent scout who signed them to a five-album contract.“We were in the right place at the right time,” Mike reflected. “Getting our record deal was everything we could possibly have hoped for.”Their first four albums all made the UK top ten. The mix of original songs and popular covers earned The Overtones a large and loyal following. Only their fifth album, a collection of Christmas songs, failed to make a major impression on the charts and even this still reached number 24.The boys had already begun work on album number six before Timmy died. So it is that having gained permission from his family, Timmy’s voice is heard alongside his bandmates on the new album.“We feel like we planted the seeds of this album with Timmy,” Mark stated. “It’s like he’s been with us throughout the whole journey. Making the record has also been part of our grieving process. We wanted to create something which would make Timmy and our fans proud.”“We’ve deliberately included a mix of tracks,” Lachie added. “It would have been very easy to record nothing but sad songs. But we knew Timmy wouldn’t have wanted that. So, there are some songs to put a smile on your face and even get you up dancing.“We’re very proud of the album. It’s a tribute to Timmy and means the world to us. We hope it will also mean something special to our fans.”Tom WalkerWhat do Years & Years, Sam Smith and Rag ‘N’ Bone Man have in common? Apart from successful chart careers, they have all featured on Vevo UK LIFT, a showcase for fresh new talent on the British music scene.The Vevo UK LIFT spotlight is now shining on singer / songwriter Tom Walker. His first UK hit single, Leave A Light On, reached number seven earlier this year and also became a big hit throughout much of the world. Tom’s first Vevo UK LIFT video is a live performance of his new single, Angels. This can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahqDhT146BcHis second video is a live performance of an older song, Blessings. This is posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvY4Q8APwx0These very basic live renditions make an interesting contrast to the recorded songs. The official video for Angels is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdD-Epg1XPI while the official video for Blessings can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXFR01b7ej8Amy WinehouseDespite her family saying there will be no posthumous albums, fans of the late Amy Winehouse have a lot to look forward to.Just released is a documentary film, Amy Winehouse – Back To Black. It explores the making of Amy’s 2006 album of the same name through interviews with producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi. Back To Black was hugely successful and currently stands at number nine in the list of all-time biggest-selling albums in Britain.Also accompanying the documentary is An Intimate Evening In London, previously unseen footage of Amy’s private show for family, friends and record company executives at the Riverside Studios in February, 2008. This was the same night that she won five Grammy Awards.A clip from An Intimate Evening In London featuring Amy performing Love Is A Losing Game has been posted online. It is available to view at www.youtube.com/watch?v=8phKGx0iPZAIn other news, Amy’s family have announced plans to make a film biopic of her life. This could perhaps be in cinemas late next year to complement a concert tour featuring a hologram of Amy. The concept is being developed by Base Hologram, the same company who created last year’s Roy Orbison hologram arena tour.George MichaelPreviously unheard George Michael songs are set to form the soundtrack of Last Christmas, a film inspired by Wham!’s 1984 smash hit single.Wham!’s song has been a perennial favourite at Christmas for the last 34 years. Despite top ten spots almost every year, Last Christmas has never topped the UK chart. It was held out of number one in 1984 by Band Aid’s charity single, Do They Know It’s Christmas? Ironically, Wham! donated all royalties from Last Christmas to the same charitable cause, Ethiopian famine relief.The forthcoming film, a romantic comedy, stars Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding. Directed by Paul Feig, British actress, director and writer Emma Thompson is responsible for the screenplay. The scheduled release date is just over one year from now, November 15, 2019.Fans will not have to wait quite so long to see a tribute concert to George Michael. Having been approved by his family, the event will be staged at the O2 Academy Brixton, London, on June 25, 2019. This would have been George’s 56th birthday.Overseen by Chris Cameron, the musical director for two of George’s concert tours, his original band members will certainly be performing but details of the featured artists have yet to be announced.Backing vocalist Shirley Lewis revealed the concert idea originated as a private event for the George Michael Band.“We wanted to share a special night together in honour of a man and friend who we all miss terribly. We are like a family and we all wanted to come together to remember someone who we loved and who loved us. We now look forward to sharing the evening and celebrating George’s life and music with his loyal fans on his birthday.”All proceeds from the concert will be donated to Childline, a charity which George continually supported.Candi StatonThere is sad news concerning American soul singer Candi Staton. The 78-year-old star has been diagnosed with breast cancer.Candi discovered the lump through self-examination and encourages all women of whatever age to check themselves and get regular mammograms. She took a little time to come to terms with the diagnosis but decided to go public with the news in the hope of persuading other women to get tested.She has now begun 12 weeks of chemotherapy but still plans to go ahead with her upcoming concert schedule. Perhaps significantly, it has been titled her Unstoppable Tour.Candi’s biggest hit single was Young Hearts Run Free which hit number two on the UK chart in 1976. A video of Candi performing the song is posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXsosNMI0j4