Johnny Logan is releasing a remake of ‘Driving Home For Christmas’ to raise funds for Parkinson’s following the death of his late friend, Eurovision star Shay Healy.
Eurovision-winning songwriter and veteran RTE presenter Healy died in April after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Logan and the Irish Chamber Orchestra (ICO) have teamed up to remake the 1987 classic hit in aid of the Parkinson's Association of Ireland and the ICO's free education programmes.
The three-time Eurovision winner said: "I'm delighted to work with the ICO on this terrific song.
“My great friend songwriter Shay Healy wrote my first Eurovision winner What's Another Year back in 1980.
"His battle with Parkinson's Disease was inspirational for many dealing with the same struggles.”
The Hold Me Now hitmaker added: “Though we lost Shay last April, it's great to know this collaboration can help the Trojan work being done with Parkinson's Association of Ireland.
"I have seen the transformative impact of ICO's work on the lives of children and young people in need of support in their Sing out with Strings and ICOYO initiatives, which is why I am so proud to be launching this single today," he told RTE.
The Christmas charity version of the Chris Rea's hit single was produced and arranged by Jimmy Smyth, formerly of the Irish rock band The Bogey Boys, and directed by ICO's Katherine Hunka.
As well as raising funds for the Parkinson's Association of Ireland, the single will support ICO's inclusive music education programme Sing out with Strings, which provides free weekly music education classes to over 300 children in schools across Limerick, and its work with the Irish Chamber Orchestra Youth Orchestra (ICOYO).
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