Kathryn Keats Teams with Producer Narada Michael Walden on New Song 'Count On Me'

A new song by singer/songwriter Kathryn Keats and Grammy-winning producer Narada Michael Walden offers words of hope for anyone experiencing sadness.

Keats, a San Francisco-area singer and songwriter, started writing "Count On Me" to support a friend who had suffered a late-term miscarriage. The more she thought about it, she realized the lyrics could apply to almost any tragic situation.

"I took an early version of the song to Narada," Keats said. "He liked it and asked me if I had written the music, because he had some ideas for it. I was glad to collaborate with him, because he is a genius. I am so honored that he shared my vision."

Walden, who has worked with such artists as Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana, Jeff Beck, Michael Jackson and others, produced "Count On Me" in his Tarpan Studios in Northern California. On the song, Walden plays piano, keyboard and drum tracks, while Keats sings lead vocals:

"If you have no hope, dream / If you have no voice, sing / If you can't believe in nothing at all, count on me / If you have no faith, pray / If you have nothing else, I'm gonna stay / If your heart is breaking down, count on me."

Background vocals are performed by Nikita Germaine, Sakai Smith, Jeanie Tracy and Claytoven Richardson, who, individually, have worked with Celine Dion, Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Train, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Ricky Martin and more.

No stranger to tragedy, Keats, a former musical theatre actress in New York, went into hiding for 20 years to escape a nearly fatal, abusive relationship. After learning her abuser had died of natural causes, she re-launched her music career in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Although "Count On Me" can apply to many situations, the accompanying music video tells the story of a broken relationship between a young man and his father, and the resulting consequences.

The video, which was created by a group of teenage film students at Marin School of the Arts in Novato, California, can be viewed below:

A portion of the proceeds from downloads of "Count On Me" will benefit the Narada Michael Walden Foundation, which supports music education for young people.

"So many people are hurting and afraid of things going on in the world," Keats said. "If 'Count On Me' provides some small comfort, it will be worth it."

"Count on Me" is available on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/count-on-me-single/id1002283375.

Information about Kathryn Keats is available at www.KathrynKeats.com. Information about Narada Michael Walden is available at www.NaradaMichaelWalden.com.

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