Prince William presenting Dame Deborah James with her Damehood honor.Photo:Graham Prentice / Alamy
Graham Prentice / Alamy
Kate MiddletonandPrince Williamhave given the royal seal of approval to a charity song in memory of the lateDame Deborah James.
Natalie Rushdie, a jazz singer and a friend of cancer campaigner James — otherwise known as “Bowel Babe,” whodied in June 2022after a five-battle with bowel cancer — has released a new version of “Tell Me It’s Not True” from the hit musicalBlood Brothers, the same song Rushdie sang at James' funeral last year.
“Her legacy will be countless lives saved from bowel cancer,” the Prince of Wales said in a statement toThe Sun, for whom James wrote a column during her cancer journey.
“Dame Debs would be so proud. She inspired the nation,” he added. “I’m wishing Natalie all the very best for her single release to raise money for such an important cause.”
The idea to release the song, which was number one on the iTunes charts after being released on Monday, came from James' parents. Her family and friends hope it will raise even more money for James’Bowelbabe Fund, which was set up in the weeks before her death.
During her five-year battle with cancer, James campaigned tirelessly to raise awareness around bowel cancer. In the days before she died, Prince William visited her at her parents' home in Surrey, where hepersonally presented her with a Damehood.
Natalie Rushdie recording the song in honor of Dame Deborah James at Abbey Road Studios in June 2023.Dave Benett/Getty Images
Dave Benett/Getty Images
“I just remember her being so excited about it, she just thought the whole thing was mad,” recalls Rushdie, who says the two bonded over their love of musicals, wine and dancing after meeting through their husbands seven years ago. “She just kept saying, ‘This is mad.’ She was so humble, she couldn’t believe it.”
Whether it was through her award-winning BBC podcast “You, Me and the Big C” or wearing a poo emoji costume through the streets of London or the heart-warming videos of her dancing with nurses while enduring grueling treatment, James' story connected with people on a global level.
“She taught people that you could live with cancer,” Rushdie, 36, tells PEOPLE. “Despite what she was going through, she was so joyous about what other people were going through and her strength of character was unflappable.”
Natalie Rushdie with Dame Deborah James at Royal Ascot in June 2022.Natalie Rushdie
Natalie Rushdie
Rushdie — the daughter-in-law of author Salmon Rushdie and mom to two children with her husband Sebastien, who appears in the single’s video dancing with his wife — says she also received a message of support from Princess Kate when she found herself sitting behind her in theroyal box at Wimbledonon Tuesday.
“I went up to her and introduced myself and just thanked her and William for supporting the song,” Rushdie tells PEOPLE. “She said that it was amazing and that it was really important to William to get behind it and support it.”
It was a bittersweet moment for Rushdie to be at Wimbledon without her friend.
“When I saw her at Ascot, she said, ‘I hope I get to Wimbledon,’ and she didn’t make it, so in a way, I feel like I’ve taken her because everyone knows about her song and we were all talking about it at Wimbledon,” the singer says.
As for the royal endorsement and having recorded the song at the famous Abbey Road Studios, Rushdie says James, a former teacher, would probably find it all hilarious: “I like to think that somewhere she’s drinking a glass of rosé, dancing to her song and she would just think it was completely mad!”
Natalie Rushdie with the 25-piece orchestra at Abbey Road Studios in June 2023.Dave Benett/Getty Images
Rushdie says the fact that the Prince and Princess of Wales have gone out of their way to send messages of support is a testament to James’ legacy.
“Twenty years ago, you wouldn’t have any member of the royal family talking about bowel cancer,” says Rushdie, who herself has experienced a bowel cancer scare. “It’s just so wonderful that after giving her the damehood, he’s still supporting her campaign and still talking about the symptoms of bowel cancer.”
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All of the song’s proceeds will go to the Bowelbabe Fund, which has raised over $14 million so far.
“When I saw her for the last time, she said, ‘Natalie, I don’t want to die, please keep my legacy alive,’ " Rushdie says. “So I just want everyone to have that conversation, check your poo, know your body and I want this song to raise as much money as possible for her charity, which is changing lives and that was what she really wanted.”
source: people.com
