LGBTQ+ musicians including Bimini to release charity single in honour of The Vivienne
‘Your Light Will Shine’ is a new song created in honour of The Vivienne. (Getty)
'Your Light Will Shine' is a new song created in honour of The Vivienne. (Getty)
Queer musicians including Drag Race UK stars Bimini and Tia Kofi will release a charity single in honour of late Drag Race winner The Vivienne.
The single, entitled “Your Light Will Shine”, will raise money for historic British LGBTQ+ charity Switchboard, which runs the National LGBTQ+ Support Line. The organisation celebrated its 50th birthday last year.
The single is set for release on Wednesday 17 September.
Bimini and Tia Kofi will be joined by “lay all your love on me” performer Bentley Robles, “Freaky Little Freak” singer Eden Hunter, “Take You There” hitmaker Janethan, and DJ Ellis Miah.
Miah, best known for his work on RuPaul’s cult favourite track “Read U Wrote U”, will produce the “hopeful” and “stirring” song, which is written by The Vivienne’s long-time manager and friend, Simon Jones.
In a statement, Jones said: “I wanted to do something that would not only honour The Vivienne’s lasting legacy but also help raise vital funds for a charity that does so much for our community.
“Viv was a trailblazer and a one off, and in this song we celebrate their life but also remind everyone that right now we need to be united as a community and fight for our love more than ever.”
The Vivienne, the inaugural winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and a burgeoning entertainment powerhouse, died in January this year from cardiac arrest as a result of taking ketamine.
Her death caused an outpouring of grief from the Drag Race community and wider entertainment world, with the story of her life, death and legacy being told in the recent BBC documentary, Dear Viv.
Dear Viv featured interviews with the friends and family of The Vivienne, also known by her birth name James Lee Wiliams, plus behind-the-scenes footage of her time on Drag Race UK.
The documentary was praised on release as a “heartbreaking” but “essential” watch.
The drag superstar’s family has begun working with substance abuse charity Adferiad to raise awareness of the prevalence and devastating impact of ketamine.
Switchboard can be contacted on 0800 0119 100 from 10am to 10pm, 365 days a year.
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