He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother

About

He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother was released on 17 December 2012 as a charity single by The Justice Collective, with Robbie Williams contributing vocals. The project was organised by Peter Hooton of The Farm to raise funds for the families of the victims of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. The single reached number one on the UK Singles Chart at Christmas 2012, beating X Factor winner James Arthur’s Impossible, and helped to raise significant money and awareness for the campaign for justice.

The Justice Collective featured an all-star lineup including Paul McCartney, Paul Heaton, Melanie C, Rebecca Ferguson, Holly Johnson, Paloma Faith, Gerry Marsden, Beverley Knight, Shane MacGowan and Elton John on piano, among many others. Guy Chambers produced the track at his Sleeper Studios in London, donating his time and facilities free of charge. The record was released almost a year after the independent panel’s landmark report into the disaster, which confirmed the extent of the cover-up surrounding the tragedy.

Originally written by Bobby Scott and Bob Russell, the song was first recorded by Kelly Gordon in 1969 and later made famous by The Hollies the same year. For this version, Williams performed one of the lead vocal lines, singing “No burden is he to bear, we’ll get there,” and appearing prominently in the accompanying video, which intercuts black-and-white studio footage with images of Liverpool and Hillsborough memorials.

“This was a song about solidarity and love. Everyone wanted to help, and we all knew how important it was for the people of Liverpool.”Robbie Williams

He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother became one of the defining charity singles of the decade, both for its emotional resonance and its collective spirit. Williams’s contribution, though brief, placed him alongside many of Britain’s most respected artists in a recording that carried deep social and cultural significance.