Chrissy Amphlett, the legendary lead singer of ground-breaking Australian outfit Divinyls, passed away just under a year ago from complications surrounding breast cancer. One of her last great wishes was for her most enduring and popular song, I Touch Myself, to become an anthem for breast cancer awareness. A new project launched today makes that wish a reality, with a swathe of Australia’s most important and influential female artists banding together to release a haunting new version of Amphlett’s hit, with a view towards educating, empowering and encouraging women touch themselves in the name of early breast cancer detection.
The I Touch Myself Project, launched today by Chrissy’s family, friends, her husband Charley Drayton, songwriters and the Cancer Council of New South Wales, is a showcase of positivity and support for the detection and treatment of breast cancer; a disease that statistically affects one in eight women in Australia during their lifetime.
The centrepiece of the project is a re-recorded version of I Touch Myself, designed to be an anthem for cancer awareness. Contributing to vocals are some of the nation’s best and most iconic female voices, Deborah Conway, Kate Ceberano, Katie Noonan, Megan Washington, Connie Mitchell, Chrissy Amphlett’s cousin Little Pattie, Sarah Blasko, Sarah McLeod, Suze Demarchi, and Olivia Newton-John all participate in the haunting, largely a ‘Capella rendition. The accompanying video also features young breast cancer survivor Sali Stevanja.
The I Touch Myself Project encourages knowledge, diligence and support, and aims to utilise the strong, powerful message left behind by Chrissy, coupled with the enormous power of social media, to continually increase rates of early detection and hopefully reduce the rates of mortality.
You can view the song and get behind the project at their website. It’s a vitally important resource fostered by the ideals of one of our greatest and most extraordinary women, who is dearly, dearly missed.
Photo: Kristian Dowling via Getty Images.
