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Amy Winehouse's backing singer releases song for Foundation

Oct 1, 2012, 16:01 GMT

Amy with Zalon in the video

Amy Winehouse's former backing singer is releasing a single for her charity.

Zalon - who was signed to Amy's Lioness record label - recorded the song straight after being told she had died last year and has decided to bring out the track, entitled 'You Let Me Breathe', in aid of the Amy Winehouse Foundation.

Zalon - who toured with her extensively - said: 'It was my immediate response. It poured out of me. I was returning from Spain when I heard about her passing. I went to my producer JPL's house and we wrote and recorded the song the next day. It was my way of dealing with it.

'The lyrics were about how helpless I felt, I could only cry for Amy, but that wouldn't bring her back. I was crying in the booth while recording and I wasn't strong enough to release it until now.'

Zalon also paid tribute to Amy's family for setting up the Amy Winehouse Foundation - which aims to support charitable activities that provide help and support for young people who are suffering from addiction, ill health or disability.

The singer - who first met the 'Rehab' hitmaker when she stormed the stage when he was performing at a London club to tell him how much she loved his voice - said: 'I'm so grateful to her and her family are doing fantastic work with the Foundation, it is only right to donate the proceeds of the single to the charity. It's an amazing cause in the name of an amazing person, she would be so proud of it.'

The video for 'You Let Me Breathe' can bee seen on YouTube and features a collection of behind the scenes footage of Amy and Zalon on tour sharing moments with a host of artists such as Jay-Z, Beyonce Knowles, Jack White and Chaka Khan.

The song is available to buy from http://www.7digital.com/artist/zalon/release/you-let-me-breathe