A retired solicitor has written a musical about legendary boxer Muhammad Ali to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Michael Judkins has swapped briefing papers for musical score sheets and is on a mission to make a success of his musical project about the leading heavyweight American boxer.
To mark the occasion, many of those involved with the project to release the CD called Float Like A Butterfly, joined a launch gathering at La Margherita Restaurant in Cambridge.
Michael said: “My son Robert Judkins has been a pivotal contributor to the album, contributing all the bass parts along with some rhythm/acoustic playing, and some occasional lead fills.
“An invaluable support throughout, in many ways the backbone of the project.”
The concept album about the 20th century international icon was recorded with help from a variety of singers and musicians.
Michael learned to play guitar fairly late in life and once he was able to master the chords to a few covers, moved on to try his hand at writing.
He was inspired by the desire to put together a series of connected songs and decided the story of Muhammad Ali, incorporating his career as it began, progressed and then concluded, was a great choice.
He said: “He was a unique man who was far more than just a champion boxer.”
Michael spent some time researching his subject before coming up with the melodies and lyrics so that the story was told in some detail, and with a view to describing Ali’s life and achievements in as interesting a way as possible.
For fans of Muhammad Ali, or even for those who don’t know the story, it will hopefully be a fascinating listen, he said.
The CD is not intended as a commercial venture and, to coincide with the release, Michael has set up a Just Giving page www.justgiving.com/Michael-Judkins with donations invited to support the work of Great Ormond Street Hospital.
It is his hope that those receiving a copy of “Float like a Butterfly” will feel able, in return, to make a small donation towards this worthy cause.
A copy of Michael’s CD can be obtained by visiting his website www.float-like-a-butterfly.com
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here