This week’s NYC sing along goes national with ‘Lean on Me’

Photo by Norbert Kundrak on Unsplash

On April 3, three-time Grammy Award winner Bill Withers passed away at the age of 81. Among his top hits were “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Lovely Day,” and “Lean on Me,” which will be the song New Yorkers will sing to out their windows this Thursday evening. Volunteer community choir Peace of Heart Choir kicked off the city-wide sing along last week with Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.” This week, the event is planned to reach the entire nation.

The organizers noticed last week that people around the country were participating, so this week they’ve officially made it a national event. “Our launch event last week was incredibly successful, bringing people together in a powerful and unique way. But the battle against this virus goes on, and we’re happy to do our part to keep people keep their spirits up, build community, and show their appreciation for those who are helping us all stay safe,” said Amanda Brzezowski, Co-Chairman of The Peace of Heart Choir. “This week we chose ‘Lean on Me’ as a tribute to Bill Withers, who left us in early April. It’s a truly inspiring song, with a message for our times – that by turning to each other for support, we’re all stronger.”

The sing along begins at 7:02pm, directly following the nightly #ClapBecauseWeCare ritual. To help everyone synchronize, local radio station WBAI will broadcast the track on 99.5 FM and on their website; it will also be live-streamed on the Choir’s Facebook page.