New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Pioneers For A Cure) Pioneers For A Cure - Songs To Fight Cancer is pleased to announce the November 22 iTunes release of 'Now Let Me Fly' by legendary R&B singer Ben E. King. King has selected St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee to receive proceeds from downloads of the song. The single is also included on the Pioneers For A Cure collection 'American Songs To Fight Cancer,' released in October 2011.
The cover art for "Now Let Me Fly" is by the Israeli fine artist Mira Sasson, who has painted dozens of portraits of Pioneers For A Cure contributors.
Possessing one of the most elegant baritone voices ever, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame alumnus Ben E. King's imprint on the musical landscape is so indelible that an optimum barometer has been set for countless aspiring performers. From a youngster in Harlem to an embraceable solo artist, Ben E. King's contributions to the pop music spectrum are incalculable.
In a promotional video on the Pioneers For A Cure website, King encouraged others to "Stand by me to fight cancer!" - recalling his hit single "Stand by Me," written with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and voted one of the Songs of the Century by the Recording
Industry Association of America.
'Now Let Me Fly' is a song of the Underground Railroad which references the biblical story of Ezekiel's Wheels. The song talks mostly of a promised land which was in the north at the time, and would boost the morale and the spirit of slaves and give them hope. The song is given a stellar reggae arrangement in Ben E. King's version for Pioneers For A Cure. The track is produced by Greg Wall, who also leads the lush horn section's driving rhythm.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, founded in 1962, is a leading pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children's catastrophic diseases. It is located in Memphis, Tennessee. It is a nonprofit medical corporation chartered as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization under IRS regulations. In 1996,
Peter C. Doherty, Ph.D., of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, was corecipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work related to how the immune system kills virus-infected cells.
Pioneers For A Cure - Songs To Fight Cancer is the largest showcase of cancer charities on the web. Called '[A] stellar model of artist-driven grassroots philanthropy' by
National Geographic, the non-profit project records public domain songs, reinterpreted and made available for donations of as little as $1.99. This treasure trove of over 100 songs has been recorded by dozens of artists from around the world including Suzanne Vega, Ben E. King, Tom Chapin, Tom Verlaine, Matt White and
David Broza. Fine artist Mira Sasson has painted the Pioneer Portraits of the singers, which are made available as US Postage Stamps to fight cancer. Proceeds from song downloads are donated to artist-selected cancer charities such as the American Cancer Society, St. Jude Children's Hospital, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and Susan G. Koman for the Cure.
