With a Little Help from my Friends, a new tribute album, is raising funds in memory of Matt Long, a beloved patient treated at Royal Surrey Cancer Centre.

Matt, lead singer, guitarist and main songwriter for UK blues rock band Catfish, twice named Instrumentalist of the Year at the UK Blues Awards, sadly passed away in October 2024 at just 29, following an 18-month battle with bowel cancer. Throughout his treatment, Matt received exceptional care at the Royal Surrey Cancer Centre, a support that meant the world to him and his family.

In the months since his passing, Matt’s family and friends from across the music community have come together to celebrate Matt’s remarkable life and music, raising funds to support cancer care at Royal Surrey in his memory. 

With the support of many of Matt’s friends and fellow musicians, his family have created a special album featuring performances of Matt’s original songs. Each artist has put their own spin on Matt’s songs, which makes each track unique and very special. The album, titled With a Little Help from My Friends, is a heartfelt tribute to Matt and the friendships he built through music.

Talking about the album, Matt’s mother, Fiona, said:

“Matt would have been overwhelmed with the amount of love that has gone into this project from his friends in the music community. Being able to use the money raised from the sale of this album to help other cancer patients in some small way makes his loss a little easier to bear. 

“We are so immensely grateful to every single person who has contributed their time and talent to producing this album, and hope it will be a fitting tribute to Matt.”

All proceeds from the album will support our Cancer Centre Fund at Royal Surrey Charity, funding state-of-the-art equipment and redeveloping wards and departments that make a real difference to patients receiving treatment at the Royal Surrey Cancer Centre. 

By purchasing the album, you will not only celebrate Matt’s life and music but also help improve care for cancer patients at the Royal Surrey.

Buy the album

To find out more about our Cancer Centre Fund, and how your donations could make a difference, visit our fund page below. 

Cancer Centre Fund

The tribute album has been made possible thanks to the contributions from a number of artists who were Matt’s friends including Joe Bonamassa, Walter Trout, Elles Bailey, The Cinelli Brothers, Blue Nation, Sean Webster, When Rivers Meet, Brave Rival, Will Wilde, Zac Schulze, Alice Armstrong, Dom Martin, Chantel McGregor, Katie Bradley and Adrienne Cowan. Special thanks also go to Dan Lucas of Joplin House Studios for providing studio space free of charge, and to Alice Armstrong for creating the album cover.