Hey Jude
Music For Montserrat was a concert held on 15 September 1997 at the Royal Albert Hall. Musicians came together to raise funds for the Caribbean island of Montserrat after a major volcanic eruption by the Soufrière Hills volcano earlier that year left the island, including its capital of Plymouth, devastated. The concert starred musicians such as Phil Collins, Ray Cooper, Carl Perkins, Jimmy Buffett, Mark Knopfler, Sting, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Midge Ure, Arrow and many more, all of whom had once recorded at the island’s famous AIR Studios. A DVD was released with the most famous songs from the concert, such as Your Song, Layla, Brothers In Arms, Blue Suede Shoes, Yesterday, Hey Jude, and Message In A Bottle.
The concert was arranged and produced by George Martin; proceeds from the show and DVD were used for immediate relief and also helped fund the building of a new cultural centre in Montserrat. On its completion in 2006, George Martin gifted the centre to the islanders.
For Carl Perkins, this was his last major live performance; he died just over four months later on 19 January 1998.
Paul McCartney recorded his “Tug Of War” album at AIR Montserrat, in February 1981.
Great lineup