A UNIQUE and moving tribute has been created in memory of a Westhoughton father.
Kevin Allen died aged 53 in October following a long battle with his health after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Now thousands of people around the UK are tuning in to hear a song dedicated in his memory by Bolton Band Jordan Allen as it hits the playlists of national radio stations.
Released today, all proceeds from 110 Ways To Make Things Better will be going to the Brain Tumour Charity.
Leader singer of the four-piece and Kevin's son, Jordan wrote and recorded the track during the closing months of his dad's terminal illness and it is a tribute to the father-of-two who was both well-loved in his community and was Jordan’s greatest supporter.
Jordan said: "It is about trying to get past what has gone on and trying to stay positive through it all.
"Everything I put out is pretty close to the bone, this is the closest is has been, but at that point writing about it was the only way to get past it.
"I know for a fact he loved the track, it was right up his street and I know it made him proud. We just want to get it out to as many people as possible."
Kevin lived in Westhoughton for more than 25 years with his wife Julie and two sons Oliver, aged 14, and Jordan, aged 23.
A social worker for Oldham Council, he spent his free time managing at Westhoughton Rangers and taking part in volunteering work.
He was diagnosed with the cancer in July 2015 and his health later deteriorated in the last months of 2016, before he death on October 28.
Jordan said: "There were 400 people at his funeral. He did so much and was involved in so many things. The amount of people who knew him, it was ridiculous.
"He was always helping people out and putting others first. He never did anyone any harm, he was just a lovely individual.
"He was a singer in a band when he was younger and there are crazy pictures of him doing gigs in Manchester and London so when I started it was a big thing for him.
"He was at every gig, he was always there even when he was ill."
The original 110 Ways demo was played to Kevin while in hospital during his final days and was given a big thumbs up.
Eventually completed following his death, the song's video weaves intimate family home movies and recent footage of Jordan Allen performing live and in Bolton, and opens with a recording of Kevin's voice mail message.
It has been described as 'spectacular' by BBC Introducing and praised by Radio X as Jordan's 'best yet'.
He adds: "It is quite a powerful track, it's made quite a few people cry.
"We will take it on our tour. Touring and carrying on felt like the right thing to do, he wouldn't have wanted anything else from us."
Jordan has also included a piece of his dad's own poignant writing in another new track, In Imperial Leather Drama, which goes: "It's the most amazing waste of time. Can you write your very own page? Live laugh love and cry. Before you're swallowed whole by age"
The tracks comes from the band's latest EP Livin' La Vida Bolton which will be featured in their first major national tour alongside The Sherlocks throughout February and March and kicks off with a sold out gig at the Albert Hall in Manchester tonight.
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