Seaford author and ex-gangster with terminal cancer has poem written for his wife turned into a pop song

John Lawson has been battling three major cancers for the last 18 months and was told eight weeks ago he had around 12-18 months to live, with a possible three years if chemotherapy was successful.

Following this news, the published author wrote a poem for his wife which made her cry, leading to the 56-year-old sharing the piece on Facebook.

John said: “I was sat here one day and penned this poem, she teared up and then some friends of mine read it and said we should turn it into a song.

“It's probably the most personal and intimate and emotional work that I've done. It was just for her, I said maybe someone else can feel something from it, why don't we put it on Facebook?

“She was a bit reluctant because it's very personal and emotional, but eventually she agreed to. We were not really expecting the reaction that we got and some friends turned it into a song in three days and by the fifth day they had done the full production.”

The song Never Bled So Much by Revelation Daze is now available to stream on all major music platforms, with the proceeds going to the Macmillan Cancer Charity.

The song has already been picked up and played on Link FM, a radio station in East London, South Africa.

John said: “The radio station picked up on this and aired it on Thursday and since then they have played it 16 times.

“We are hoping more radio stations will pick up on it and any proceeds we get we are sending to Macmillan.”

John is a former violent criminal, bodyguard for The Rolling Stones, member of a biker gang and enforcer for gangsters.

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While serving five years in prison he became a Christian and for the last 16 years has been invited to speak in prisons in 27 countries. He is also the author of the popular book “If a Wicked Man”.

John said: “I think the whole poem in context is touching people’s lives. The feedback from the listeners that have heard the song has been incredible. The DJs sent me lots of feedback and told me it touched people’s lives.

“I think it will touch two types of people, people with cancer and people with a loved one with cancer. They will be able to be empathetic towards it and go ‘yeah that is exactly how I feel’.

"A nurse told me the line that touched her the most was ‘missing her in advance is causing me pain, missing her in advance’ because I know I'm going to die, I’m missing my wife now in advance of that.

“She said that’s exactly how I felt when my dad was terminal and was grieving for him before he was gone.

“Hopefully it will touch people’s lives and if it does well it will help Macmillan as well, which is a fantastic cause.”

To listen to the song click here