Member Article

Local musicians set their sights on the UK Top 40 for ‘Kiahna’s Song’

Two local musicians have joined forces to write and release a song to mark the amazing story of a little Black Country girl that has survived five life-threatening operations.

Andrew Ayres and Steph Burgess have recorded ‘Kiahna’s Song’ in a bid to raise money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital (BCH) and to celebrate the courage and determination of Kiahna Taylor-Brummell, the eight year-old daughter of well-known publican’s Neil Taylor and Kerry Brummell.

The emotional 3 minute 48 second track is designed to tell the story of a parent’s anxious wait for their child to return from theatre and a critical operation.

Backed by significant interest from social media, the song has defied all expectations by knocking Barry Manilow off the iTunes Easy Listening number 1 slot and going in at 53 in the respective US chart.

The duo, who themselves have experienced their own young children being seriously ill, are now hoping local people, friends, family and the media will help them claim a spot in The Official UK top 40, raising thousands for BCH in the process.

“We are shocked but delighted at how well ‘Kiahna’s Song’ has been received, not just with people we know, but those who understand the emotion connected with the track,” explained Andrew, who has been writing music for more than 15 years.

“It’s a parent’s worst nightmare and I experienced it myself when my own daughter Sienna suffered from septicemia when she was born. Even in those darkest hours you still see some of the best traits of human kindness, bravery and determination…that, along with the emotional roller-coaster was what I was trying to get across in the song.”

He continued: “To knock Barry Manilow off the No1 spot in any chart is something every musician dreams of, but the fact we’re raising money for such an outstanding charity makes it even better. You never know, he might even download a copy himself.”

The single is the latest in a number of fundraising ventures supported by Kerry and Neil, who have organised football matches and held quiz nights at their pub, the Fox at Shipley.

The latter also completed a gruelling seven-day challenge earlier this year, which included running the Paris and London marathons and riding more than 400 miles to get to both events.

“We’ve raised about £60,000 so far, but that’s just the start…we’ve got lots of new challenges and ideas to generate more cash for Birmingham Children’s Hospital so they can purchase vital equipment,” explained Neil.

“Andrew has come up with a beautiful song to depict an extremely emotional time in our lives and one that a lots of parents can sympathise with.

“It has tugged at a lot of heart strings and I’m hoping we can achieve the unthinkable and actually get into the Official Top 40. I know Kiahna’s really excited about the possibility of being in the same chart as One Direction and Union J!”

Kiahna’s Song is available for 79p across all of the major download websites, including iTunes, Google Play and CDBaby.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Russ Cockburn .