Bestival tragedy victim Michael Molloy heading for Official Top 40

Bestival tragedy victim Michael Molloy heading for Official Top 40 with his single Rise and Fall, featuring Alex Evans

Michael Molloy, a young Liverpool teenager who tragically lost his life last September following a coach crash on the way home from Bestival could be heading for the Official Chart Top 40 this Sunday.

Michael Molloy, 18, was one of three people who died in the tragedy, and now a song Rise And Fall, which was written by Michael a year earlier and recorded by Michael’s friend, band mate and musical collaborator Alex Evans, is at Number 26 in today’s Official Chart Update.

The single, which has already received support from the likes of musicians Brian May and James Morrison, as well as footballers Wayne Rooney and Joey Barton, has been released by organisers of Bestival, Sunday Best on their label Sunday Best Recordings.

Michael’s brother Joe Molloy 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 every day. 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.

“The release of the single is both in memoriam and in celebration and we wish to thank Sunday Best and all of the people who have supported Michael over many years. They know who they are.”

Joe, who lives with mother Frances, father David and younger brother Liam in Woolton, Liverpool, said the family wanted Rise and Fall to go to Number 1 in the charts.

Bestival organiser and Radio 1 DJ Rob da Bank said: “It’s obvious to me that Michael was a young and rare talent and that music was an extremely important part of his life. I’ve heard he absolutely loved Bestival and had a great time at Bestival 2012 so I feel privileged to be able to help his family fulfil his and their ambition of gettting Michael’s music out there.”