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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Kathleen Speirs

Scots dementia care home singer bids for Christmas number one with Bing Crosby hit

A Scots dementia care home patient is on a mission to get Christmas number one with a special rendition a Bing Crosby classic.

Margaret Mackie from Linlithgow struggles to remember one day to the next.

But when the 84-year-old recorded and released a word-perfect version of Frank Sinatra's My Way last December, she got more downloads than superstars such as Ed Sheeran and Ariana Grande.

Spurred on by last year's success, the care home resident, alongside friend and former staff member, Jamie Lee Morely, recorded Bing Crosby hit, White Christmas.

The inspirational pensioner is now aiming for a Christmas number one single.

Proceeds from downloads will go to charities that support Scots Alzheimer's and dementia patients.

Margaret Mackie and Jamie Lee Morley recorded My Way last year (Daily Record)

Lifelong crooner, Jamie, 32, struck up a friendship with Margaret through their mutual love for singing.

He said: "Margaret is an absolute superstar. My grandad had dementia and I think that's where we bond so much. She loves music and it'll never leave her - that's very special.

"Any time she is singing or listening to music it lifts her spirits and it gets everyone involved and the public seemed to love the story last time."

Jamie recorded his guide vocals in SoundSound studios in Ingliston, Edinburgh on November 12.

Margaret Mackie and Jamie Lee Morely in the recording studio last year (Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS)

His vocals were then played to Margaret over a video call to aid her in the singing of White Christmas.

The track was released on Thursday and is available on a variety of major music platforms, including Spotify, Amazon and iTunes.

Jamie added: "When I listened to the track after it was all put together I cried, I am not going to lie.

"We want to put out the message for people living with dementia and Alzheimer's to keep going and push them to do what they love, because Margaret is living proof it's important and it keeps her in a happy place.

"We would love to get Christmas number one and it would be an amazing achievement."

You can download the charity single on Apple Music.

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