Lean On Me – When You’re Not Strong
Legendary singer-songwriter Bill Withers has almost certainly never heard of Racing Welfare, but the lyrics in his classic song Lean On Me are lump-in-the-throat perfect in describing the charity’s mission.
Now, with permission from Bill Withers, newly formed Lambourn band Uncovered have ‘covered’ the smash hit with a special arrangement and are donating the proceeds from the sales of the single to Racing Welfare.
Shaun Johnson comments:
I am very proud that we are doing this for Racing Welfare. It is a charity close to my heart. The idea for the song was triggered by some tragic events involving racing staff last year, and Racing Welfare were there for the families and everyone affected; the title of the song and lyrics reflect exactly how I feel. Hopefully we can not only raise some money for the charity but also, crucially, increase awareness of what they do and how they can help people who work in the racing industry when things are going wrong.
Uncovered soft-launched the single at a sell-out gig in Lambourn on the 10th February which was attended by 200 friends of the band and local Lambourn residents – as well as the Lambourn Racing Welfare team and Chief Executive Dawn Goodfellow.
The band was formed last year by guitarist Shaun Johnson who has worked in racing for 20 years and manages transport for trainer Daniel Kubler. The 6-piece band also includes lead singer Gracie O’Reilly who is a work rider and travelling groom for Grand National winning trainer Oliver Sherwood.
Dawn Goodfellow, Chief Executive of Racing Welfare added: