‘A Song for Lily Mae’ organisers voice concerns over €27,000 owed by HMV

The producers behind ‘A Song for Lily Mae’, the charity single released to raise money for four-year-old neuroblastoma sufferer Lily Mae Morrison, are in limbo as it is unclear whether the €27,000 owed to the charity by HMV will be paid.

Stephen Macken, producer of ‘A Song for Lily Mae’ told Tom Dunne on his Newstalk show yesterday that invoices totalling €27,000 sent to HMV last week have not been paid and may not be now that administrators have been appointed to the retailer.

The song, a cover version of Elton John’s 1971 hit ‘Tiny Dancer’, was released late last year and was at No 2 in the Christmas chart. Dozens of performers had contributed to the song, which was released to raise funds for the Sunni Mae Trust, a charity which was set up to support Lily Mae and her family through her illness.

“The chances of us being paid right now are pretty close to nil because we are an unsecured local supplier,” Mr Macken said.

He paid tribute to the staff and management of HMV stores in Ireland saying that without them ‘A Song for Lily Mae’ would never have been so successful.

“The staff and management of the HMV stores in Ireland have been absolutely amazing throughout our campaign,” he added. “They are looking at a very uncertain future and my heart goes out to them.”

Lily Mae’s uncle, Paul Hayes, also spoke to the show saying that he is “very, very angry” at this development. “My goal here is to save a life of a child and to raise money to save other children. That term [ordinary unsecured creditor] does not sit easily with me.”

While HMV said yesterday that its Irish operation was not part of the administration announced this week, its shops around the country were closed yesterday, a move the company described as a “temporary measure”.

The company has yet to respond to a request from the Galway Advertiser for a statement on the ‘A Song For Lily Mae’ funds.