Watch: Shrewsbury singer's song for tragic brother gets a million YouTube hits

Henry Maybury, from Shrewsbury, was so heartbroken by the death of his alcoholic brother Tom, 29, that he decided to commemorate him in song.

The 22-year-old singer/songwriter wrote Lost Days, which told the story of alcohol abuse and became a global favourite on YouTube.

Henry, who says his idol is Robbie Williams, had grown to love music as a five-year-old. He said being able to write a tribute to his brother was a cathartic experience.

And now he is hoping for similar success with a new song, called You're Beautiful. The song is being promoted by a video that features Falklands War hero Simon Weston and Only Fools and Horses star John Challis. It will be released in one week.

Henry said: "The new song is about self-acceptance. It's message is that everyone is beautiful in their own way."

He said he got the music bug when he appeared in Wizard of Oz at the age of five, adding: "I just enjoyed singing and performing. I loved it. It was something completely new. That's where it all kind of started."

At the age of 12, he wrote a song called Please Just Tell Him To Go, an anti-bullying song. He was listening to Robbie Williams and Westlife and aped their pop style.

"It became more serious when I went to Ellesmere College. I wanted to play rugby there, really, but I was diagnosed as being arthritic, which put paid to any hopes I might have had of playing at a professional level. I was decent, really, and would have made a good semi-pro.

"But instead I found myself on a music scholarship. That really pushed me and helped me to sing. I became part of the choir, did all the concerts, all the plays and all the musicals. I took part in anything that is in the arts."

As Henry's confidence grew, his brother became more poorly. Tom had started drinking in his late teens and within 10 years he was dead.

"I wrote Lost Days, which has been watched on YouTube by more than a million people. Tom didn't get to hear it, sadly. I wrote it after seeing him being taken away in an ambulance. I just sat down and wrote this song. Then he passed away on February 22, 2013. Tom always had a massive influence on my music. A lot of the music I write includes a couple of lines about him.

"On a personal level, I miss him. It was an illness that he had in his late teens and it went on for 10 years. We didn't notice it until he was in his early twenties.

"When he died, I just felt life was completely unfair. I just sat in my room. But then I decided to try and use the song to do something good. The story line for the video was already there because of the lyrics."

The video became a social media sensation. It was Tweeted by Lorraine Kelly to more than half a million people. "The video tells the story of alcohol abuse and of a man whose luck runs out through drinking."

Despite his tender years, Henry has played to big crowds. "I played the O2 in London, which was to 4,000 people. That was part of a competition where I got to the national final. I also played at the Castlefield Arena, in Manchester, which is for 6,000 people. That was by invitation only and was for people in recovery from alcohol addiction. I was invited to sing Lost Days.

"Playing to big crowds is incredible. You go up and it's just electrifying. Words can't explain how amazing it is. You have a microphone in your hand. You are going up there and people are there to listen to you. There is almost a wave of noise from the crowd when they applaud. You just sit there and want to do it for the rest of your life."

Henry's latest song is about self-acceptance, which is why he wanted to feature Simon Weston, whose face was disfigured by injuries he sustained in the Falklands.

"The line that sums it up is 'nobody's perfect, everyone is beautiful in their own way'. Me and my mum, Sally, sat down at the table after I'd recorded the song. We were thinking of who might support it. To cut a long story short, Simon Weston came to mind and mom called his agent, told him about the whole idea.

"She told him we would love to have him in the video. An hour later, Simon called and he said he'd love to. I've got to say, he's a lovely guy and we drove down to Cardiff, which is where he lives. We filmed at the Falklands memorial. And John Challis was great. I went to see one of his one-man shows, in Shrewsbury, which was brilliant. It was an honour to have his support."