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Songs by young musician killed in Bestival coach crash released in his memory

 

Matilda Battersby
Monday 01 April 2013 11:32 BST
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Michael Molloy and his mother, Frances. The 18-year-old musician's family are releasing one of his song's he wrote before he was killed in a coach crash returning from Bestival last September.
Michael Molloy and his mother, Frances. The 18-year-old musician's family are releasing one of his song's he wrote before he was killed in a coach crash returning from Bestival last September.

A song by a young musician killed in last year’s Bestival coach crash is to be released in his memory.

Friends and family of Michael Molloy, 18, one of the three people killed by the accident on the A3 in Surrey last September, have organised the release of a song written the year before he died.

“Rise and Fall” has been recorded by his best friend Alex Evans and is being promoted with support from Bestival organiser Rob Da Bank who has a BBC Radio 1 DJ show and Sunday Best record label.

Michael’s brother Joe said: “It was Michael’s ambition to have his music recognised by the wider world. He never fulfilled that ambition so we, his family, are fulfilling it for him.”

“Michael can never come back and we will never cease to grieve for him. We think about him every hour of everyday. But Michael’s passion for music and his talent was one of the qualities which defined him and we want the rest of the world, through his music, to understand and appreciate in a small way just what a special human being he was.”

Rob Da Bank said: “It’s obvious to me that Michael was a young and rare talent and that music as extremely important part of his life. I’ve heard he absolutely loved Bestival and had a great time at the festival so I feel privileged to be able to help his family fulfil his ambition of getting Michael’s music out there.”

A second song by Michael, “Hope You Know”, is also being released via iTunes.

Michael died in the crash alongside driver Colin Daulby, 63, and Kerry Ogden, 23. Fifty others were injured. Surrey Police said the coach, which was travelling at full capacity, careered off the road and made ‘significant impact with a tree’.

Reports at the time described how many of those on board during were asleep as the coach travelled north after crossing by ferry from the Isle of Wight to Portsmouth. A fleet of ambulances was used to bring the injured to six hospitals across south England.

Last night Rob Da Bank held a benefit gig at Liverpool club Nation to “raise lots of money for those affected”.

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