The football legend Sir Alex Ferguson has become an official ambassador for Playlist for Life and this National Playlist Day 2025 is adding songs to his own personal playlist.
In his new role of ambassador, Sir Alex will champion our work and help us reach more families affected by dementia through awareness raising, fundraising and influencing. We will work together to ensure everyone living with dementia has access to a unique, personalised playlist and that everyone who loves or cares from them knows how to use it.
Sir Alex Ferguson said:
I want to share a few words that reflect my appreciation and support for the work of Playlist for Life and all its partners. I’m beyond proud to be an ambassador for this charity that is leading the way not just in Scotland, but across the UK using personal music to improve the lives of people affected by dementia. I’ve seen this first hand.
We all know someone affected by dementia, but music is truly a special thing. I have shared songs from my playlist and encourage you to do the same. I visited the team behind this incredible work and let me tell you, they work harder than a midfielder chasing a one goal lead in stoppage time.
You’re in the hands of people who care deeply and give everything to this fantastic cause. So please, listen to what they have to say, and I strongly encourage you to take action and support their mission.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s personal playlist
Moon River – Henry Mancini (music), Johnny Mercer (lyrics)
This is the song that when I’m with my longest and dearest friends from Govan, I always sing. Only they would have the patience to listen to me!
It’s All in the Game- Nat King Cole
This song has a particularly strong memory for me. When I was 17 and playing for Queen’s Park, they used to have an annual snooker competition, which I won. But when I went to receive the prize at the Annual Christmas Dance, they wouldn’t give me it unless I sang. And this was the song I sang.
My Own True Love – Tara’s Theme from Gone with the Wind
The theme song from one of the greatest movies of all time. Cathy and I visited Atlanta some years ago when I was studying the American Civil War and visited the house of Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone with the Wind, which is part of the museum tours.
Dirty Old Town – The Pogues
Written by a Glasgow-born man, Ewan MacColl, whose daughter was part of the duet in the famous Christmas song Fairy-tale of New York – Kirsty MacColl & Shane McGowan.
Danny Boy
Danny Boy is one of the most sung songs in the world. There is a host of famous singers who have sung it and of course there are many different perspectives on the meaning of the song. One quite sad version is of a father taking his son to catch a train as he was heading off for war and his father was so worried for him that he forgot to give him a hug. The son never returned.
The Way We Were – Gladys Knight and the Pips
Also sung by Barbra Streisand, it was the theme song for the movie of the same name, which starred Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford.
And many more including songs from The Shirelles, Frank Sinatra, Elvis and Sam Cooke and more.
Carol has early onset dementia and started to build a playlist with her husband Malcolm with support from their local Help Point at St Andrews Church in Carluke. Carol has turned her playlist into an ongoing project and encourages us all to harness the power of personal music. Watch their story below.
When I was diagnosed, I went into a depression. I didn’t want to see anyone, go anywhere, or move off the couch. Now I don’t need to remember I have dementia. I can just put on my playlist and I’m singing and dancing and it just makes me so happy.
Playlist for Life is something that is so dear to my heart, I cherish it. Having this has helped me to live the best life I can with dementia. It’s my playlist that gets me through my nerves, my happy times, and my sad times, so the Scottish Parliament needs to lead the way and show the world how you can make people living with dementia happy by supporting personal playlists.”
Iconic Scottish band The Bluebells have long supported Playlist for Life; performing at fundraising concerts, pop-up stunts like the video below, and sharing their personal lived experience of dementia and how music helps.
Ken McCluskey of The Bluebells said:
We support Playlist for Life in advocating for everyone to start making and using playlists of the music that they and the people they care for love to increase wellbeing now and to provide a potential lifeline to help manage symptoms of dementia later. We know that if nothing changes in dementia care, half the UK’s population will be affected by this condition by developing it, caring for someone with it, or both.
There’s currently no cure for dementia, but we know that music can help. As a band with parents and loved ones who are dealing with various stages of dementia, we’ve seen how hearing the music they grew up with or know well can stimulate memories, conversations, and those flashes of feeling ‘young at heart.’
That’s why we’re thrilled to support National Playlist Day again this year by becoming ambassadors to show our support for the charity’s great work in improving the lives of people affected by dementia across the UK through music. The Bluebells are Glaswegian at heart too and we’re proud to support this award-winning charity based in a UNESCO city of music celebrating its 850th anniversary with fellow Glaswegian ambassador Sir Alex Ferguson to help the charity achieve its goal to embed playlist into dementia care as standard.”
Create a playlist for yourself or a loved one living with dementia. Get started here.
