A devoted dad's son released 56 years after he wrote it for his baby daughter has been nominated for a national award.
The daughter in question is bursting with pride after the December release of lullaby 'little girl', and her profound cheer has been bolstered further after hearing the news that it is up for the Radio Times Moment Of The Year at this year's Audio and Radio Industry Awards.
The track entitled 'Little Girl' was composed for Karen Robson by her father Brian Teasdale Snr when she was just nine months old, as a tribute to his pride and joy. And although having the record released by Sapien Songs last year was a dream come true in itself, Brian will hope to see another landmark achievement come to fruition after turning 90 last week.
Read more: Devoted father's song composed for his daughter 56 years ago to finally be released
Brian has been living with a debilitating brain injury after being brutally assaulted 10 years ago, leaving him in need of constant care, and Karen, 56, wanted to originally honour her poorly father's last wishes of seeing his music come to life late last year after discovering an old brown crackly tape, containing a rough recording of the sonata.
She reached out to BBC Newcastle in October with hopes of finding musicians and producers to help remaster the original demo, and was delighted when Tony Wilson and Sunderland College's music students stepped up to the plate to assist in her endeavours.
Speaking last year, Tony said: "We have a group of students on our foundation degree in music - I read out the info to them, played them the track and that was it. They basically just said 'right let's sack off the lesson now and lets get in the recording studio and start'.
"We knew we were up against time a little bit with Brian being so ill, so it was recorded all in around 24 hours. It was a massive honour because for me, the original really just stands up as a song - it's got this old school sort of quality about it.
"How the hell it was never released in the first place is beyond me - and that's a music lecturer talking. Musically it's a masterpiece."
The track performed by Brian and the Buttercups was released on December 3, and since its initial premiere Karen has had non-stop messages from friends, family and people of the North East, all commenting on how beautiful her dad's music is.
Have you listened to Little Girl yet? Let us know what you think of it in the comments below.
Speaking to Chronicle Live, Karen from Blaydon said: "I've had people say that they can't stop listening to it, and that it's beautiful. I've had strangers contact me telling me that they sing it to their Little Girls too and that they're so pleased that my dad wrote the song.
"Another lady said that she plays it every night before she goes to bed."
She added: "It's beautiful that my dad has put something into the world that everyone can enjoy and you know, he isn't ever going to be forgotten now. It's timeless, and that's all my dad ever wanted as well.
"Being a prolific poet and writing poetry from being only eight years old up until he was assaulted and brain injured at the age of 79, he never gave up on his dreams. This was his dream come true."
And more of Brian's dreams came true shortly after, with Karen recently being notified that her father's song has been nominated for the Radio Times Moment Of The Year at the 2022 Audio and Radio Industry Awards which will take place on May 3 at the The Adelphi Theatre in London.
Upon breaking the news to her father, Karen said: "He was unable to speak because of the brain injury, but he opened his eyes very wide and I'm sure that was to show acknowledgement of 'wow'.
"I'm sure he would have wanted to say 'wow' if he was able to speak. I tell him about it and because of his injury you're reliant on gestures.
"My dad's story is now up for a national award. Being brain injured he would never have been able to achieve this and it is definitely a dream come true.
"It was a dream come true in December when they released the song and this is another one, and it's lovely that he's here to see it happen."
At the awards ceremony itself, Little Girl will be up alongside other breath-taking moments such as Reverend Cheryl Meban remembering Sarah Everard, on BBC Radio Ulster, and Annie Mac's last show, on Radio 1.
And as the only person representing the North East at the ceremony itself, Karen hopes that the kind and selfless people of the region will back her father to take home the coveted honour.
You can listen to Little Girl by Brian and the Buttercups, here.
Voting for the award itself is currently open until 11.59pm on April 24, and you can vote for the song to win the coveted honour here.
