The final note of an emotional Peter Gabriel song, which has long inspired many battling addiction, was played at Matthew Perry's burial, which his Friends co-stars attended, leaving his family and friends in tears.
In black suits, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc were solemn as they readied themselves for a private ceremony in Los Angeles' Forest Lawn cemetery to bid farewell to Perry.
The song "Don't Give Up" by Peter Gabriel, which goes, "No fight left or so it seems, I am a man whose dreams have all deserted, I've changed my face, I've changed my name, But no one wants you when you lose," was played as the funeral was coming to an end.
2014 saw Sir Elton John say that the song saved him and assisted him in his recovery struggle.
He said: 'This was one record that saved my life. That record helped me get sober
Perry, 54, was discovered dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home last Saturday. Perry was candid about his lengthy struggle with alcohol and drug addiction.
He had been clean and doing well, according to those close to him, just before he passed away.
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Along with his father John Perry, 82, his weeping mother Suzanne Morrison, 84, and stepfather Keith, a writer for Dateline, were present at the private celebration. One person carrying the coffin was Keith Morrison.
Although the cause of Perry's death is still unknown, preliminary toxicology tests revealed no fentanyl or meth in his system. By the end of the song, a bystander at the service reported that there was "not a dry eye." "Not a dry eye was in there," they declared. Both laughter and tears were abundant.
Only intimate friends and relatives conversed. Sadly, the song also has the following lyrics: "Don't give up, 'Cause you have friends, Don't give up, You're not the only one, Don't give up, No reason to be ashamed, Don't give up, You still have us."
The British vocalist Kate Bush is featured on the song, which was written by Gabriel, the former lead singer of Genesis.
Written during Margaret Thatcher's government in the 1980s, it was released as a single in 1986, shortly after the miners' strike of 1984-5. Gabriel claimed that Dolly Parton, a vocalist from the US, declined his initial attempt.
In 2011, he told The Quietus, "I'm glad she did because what Kate did on it is... brilliant."
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