Illness gave Emily iTunes hit
IF EMILY Brown had not fallen desperately ill early last year, she would not have had an international hit song today.
"I had to study at home for almost three terms," the Year 12 student said.
"I was so bored, I picked up a guitar and ... well, there you go."
Emily's cover of Skyscraper, which she recorded in her bedroom and uploaded only 10 days ago, soared into the top 50 in the iTunes international overall songs chart late on Thursday and Friday.
Hundreds of thousands of people across the globe downloaded the number, which shot higher than songs by hitmakers Adele, Usher and One Direction.
And yesterday, the day after her final appointment with Brisbane doctors, the teenager visited some special "fans" at Suncoast Christian College.
Emily's young cousin had taken another of her songs for "show and tell".
Of course, it became an instant hit in the classroom.
Now fit and well, Emily, who lives at Yeppoon near Rockhampton but has been staying with relatives at Woombye while visiting Brisbane specialists, released her single through iTunes late yesterday.
It was another cover - Christina Perry's Jar of Hearts.
Emily picked up a rare eye infection associated with her contact lenses at the beginning of last year.
It was so severe that doctors had considered removing an eye.
Emily, the eldest of five children whose dad works in the Central Queensland mines, said she had visited Brisbane specialists "about 20 times" over the past 12 months.
