Faye Fantarrow: Eurythmics' Dave Stewart helping singer with brain tumour

Eurythmics musician Dave Stewart says a young singer who has an aggressive brain tumour is "a rare artist" producing "magical" music.

Stewart is helping Faye Fantarrow, from Sunderland, fundraise for medical treatment after she was diagnosed with the rare tumour.

He has also offered to fly Ms Fantarrow anywhere in the world for treatment.

The 20-year-old had been recording with Stewart at his studio in the Caribbean when she became ill weeks later.

Stewart said it was "a special time" as they recorded eight songs together.

He said he heard of her music while looking around for artists from his native North East and started to follow Ms Fantarrow on social media before meeting up with her and her mother Pamela in Sunderland.

"We were going backwards and forwards trying to record something, and I said the best thing would be being in the same room," said Stewart, who has compared Ms Fantarrow's talent to that of Amy Winehouse, Kate Bush and Björk.

"I brought Faye and her mum out to my studio in the Caribbean and we had an amazing time - made a great record and recorded about seven or eight songs and she was vibrant and it was a special time.

"The music was so magical and Faye was writing stuff on the spot she was so inspired, she was swimming in the sea and there was just not a sign of any illness.

"That's why it was so devastating when I got the call when I arrived in London about three to four weeks later."

Ms Fantarrow was told she had a glioma brain tumour in August after being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia when she was eight - and again as a teenager.

Last year Ms Fantarrow won the Alan Hull award for north-east England songwriters, she had been championed by BBC Introducing as one to watch in 2022 and had recently signed to Stewart's Bay Street Records label.

She said the support and love she had received from the music community had been "overwhelming" and said she was surrounded "by the best people possible".

Stewart said he encouraged Ms Fantarrow to go public after hearing about the chance of treatment at a hospital in California, which would cost about £450,000.

He donated £50,000 and his bandmate Annie Lennox - who described Ms Fantarrow as a "totally unique and brilliant artist" - donated £10,000.

A fundraising campaign has so far raised almost £105,000.

"She's already survived leukaemia twice and she has such a positive, brilliant attitude about everything," added Stewart.

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