Hartlepool dad with incurable illness pens song for charity album

A Hartlepool dad who suffers from a debilitating illness has penned a song for a new charity album which is hoped to raise funds and help those battling the condition.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st May 2018, 12:00 BST
Updated 21st May 2018, 13:01 BST
Andrew Forcer, of Park Road, Hartlepool who suffers from Fibromyalgia, has written a song to raise money for the treatment of the illness. He's pictured with the album cover, which he has painted.Andrew Forcer, of Park Road, Hartlepool who suffers from Fibromyalgia, has written a song to raise money for the treatment of the illness. He's pictured with the album cover, which he has painted.
Andrew Forcer, of Park Road, Hartlepool who suffers from Fibromyalgia, has written a song to raise money for the treatment of the illness. He's pictured with the album cover, which he has painted.

Andrew Forcer has had fibromyalgia for the past five or six years and has had to give up work because of it.

The former hardware store worker, of Park Road, is passionate about helping to improve treatment options for people with the condition.

Andrew Forcer, of Park Road, Hartlepool who suffered from Fibromyalgia, has written a song as at of a new double album to rise money for the treatment of the illness. Andrew is pictured with the album cover which he has painted.Andrew Forcer, of Park Road, Hartlepool who suffered from Fibromyalgia, has written a song as at of a new double album to rise money for the treatment of the illness. Andrew is pictured with the album cover which he has painted.
Andrew Forcer, of Park Road, Hartlepool who suffered from Fibromyalgia, has written a song as at of a new double album to rise money for the treatment of the illness. Andrew is pictured with the album cover which he has painted.
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“A couple of years ago a friend got in touch to say that some guys in bands in Chester were putting on a concert for those affected,” said the 45-year-old.

“I ended up going down and the people involved were really enthusiastic, so there have since been other concerts there and an art exhibition which I was involved in.

“I wanted to write a song as a ‘thank you ‘and my friend, who’s in a couple of bands, said if I got it done then he would be able to put music to it.

“It’s about how fibro feels to me.”

Andrew Forcer, of Park Road, Hartlepool who suffered from Fibromyalgia, has written a song as at of a new double album to rise money for the treatment of the illness. Andrew is pictured with the album cover which he has painted.Andrew Forcer, of Park Road, Hartlepool who suffered from Fibromyalgia, has written a song as at of a new double album to rise money for the treatment of the illness. Andrew is pictured with the album cover which he has painted.
Andrew Forcer, of Park Road, Hartlepool who suffered from Fibromyalgia, has written a song as at of a new double album to rise money for the treatment of the illness. Andrew is pictured with the album cover which he has painted.

Despite not being a musician or songwriter, Andrew’s song, Rock Off Fibro, is now set to be used on a double album release alongside music from groups such as Ferocious Dog, Spear of Destiny, Accelerators as well as John Robb of The Membranes.

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Money raised from the sale of the album will go towards creating the UK’s first health centre for people with Fibromyalgia, which will be based in the Chester area.

“There are a couple of exclusive tracks and re-mixes and we’ve also had incidental music done for us by Hawkwind,” added Andrew, who is married to wife Nicola, and has a son Jamie, 17, and daughter Grace, 14.

“It’s been quite impressive how the music industry have taken to it.”

Fibromyalgia is a lifelong, incurable condition which causes constant pain throughout the body.

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“There are 130 symptoms and you can have pain all over,” said Andrew, who now uses a wheelchair.

“Four years ago I was walking 10 miles a day with my dog but now obviously I can’t do that.

“The local NHS have been really good to me I have to say but it isn’t that well-known and illness.”

As well as writing a song, Andrew has also painted the album’s cover artwork.

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The album is currently being pressed and will be available to buy soon at rockofffibro.bigcartel.com.
Further concerts are also due to be organised in the North East in July and in Glasgow this November.

“We are doing lots of things to keep it going,” said Andrew.

Related topics:HartlepoolChesterMoney