Alert – Matthew Perry’s family and Friends co-stars were reduced to tears by emotional Peter Gabriel song at funeral

Matthew Perry’s family and friends were left in tears after an emotional Peter Gabriel song which has long inspired people struggling with addiction was played as the closing note to his funeral, which was attended by his Friends co-stars. 

Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc all dressed in black suits and looked sombre as they prepared to say their last goodbyes to Perry at Forest Lawn cemetery in Los Angeles in a private ceremony.

As the funeral drew to a close, a rendition of Peter Gabriel’s Don’t Give Up was played, which includes the lyrics: ‘No fight left or so it seems, I am a man whose dreams have all deserted, I’ve changed my face, I’ve changed my name, But no one wants you when you lose.’

Perry, 54, who spoke openly about his lifelong battle with alcohol and drug addiction, was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home last Saturday. Those close to him said he had been sober and doing well shortly before his passing.

His tearful mother Suzanne Morrison, 84, and Dateline journalist stepfather Keith, 76, were both at the private event, as was his father John Perry, 82. Keith Morrison was one of the pallbearers. 

Perry’s cause of death is not yet known, but initial toxicology tests showed there was no meth or fentanyl in his system.

An onlooker at the service said there was ‘not a dry eye’ by the end of the song. They said: ‘There was not a dry eye in there. There were a lot of tears and laughter. Only close friends and family spoke.’

Heartbreakingly the song also features the lyrics: ‘Don’t give up, ‘Cause you have friends, Don’t give up, You’re not the only one, Don’t give up, No reason to be ashamed, Don’t give up, You still have us.’

The song, written by the former Genesis lead singer Gabriel, also features the British singer Kate Bush.

It was written during the 1980s under the premiership of Margaret Thatcher, being released as a single in 1986 just after the miners’ strike of 1984-5.

Gabriel initially approached US singer Dolly Parton, but said she turned the offer down.

‘I’m glad she did because what Kate did on it is… brilliant,’ he told The Quietus in 2011.

In 2014, Sir Elton John revealed that the song ‘saved my life’ and helped him on journey to sobriety.

He said: ‘This was one record that saved my life. That record helped me get sober.

‘So she [Bush] played a big part in my rebirth. That record helped me so much. I never told her that but it did.’

He added he was particularly inspired by the lyrics: ‘Rest your head. You worry too much. It’s going to be all right. When times get rough you can fall back on us. Don’t give up.’

The song peaked at number nine in the UK charts in 1986, but made it to the number four slot in Ireland and the Netherlands. 

After the song was played at Perry’s funeral, he was buried in a dark wooden coffin in a family-only ceremony.

On Monday, the Friends cast released a statement describing their shock and sadness.

‘We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,’ the cast said.

‘There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.

‘In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.’

After an initial investigation, the Los Angeles County coroner has deferred giving a cause of death, which may take weeks to determine.

Perry wrote at the beginning of his million-selling memoir: ‘Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.’ 

On Sunday, Perry’s book was ranked No. 1 on Amazon, supplanting Britney Spears’ memoir.

As he filmed the sitcom-hit Friends in the 90s, many people were unaware of the struggle Perry had with addiction and an intense desire to please audiences.

‘Friends was huge. I couldn’t jeopardize that. I loved the script. I loved my co-actors. I loved the scripts. I loved everything about the show but I was struggling with my addictions which only added to my sense of shame,’ he wrote in his memoir. 

‘I had a secret and no one could know.

‘I felt like I was gonna die if the live audience didn’t laugh, and that’s not healthy for sure. But I could sometimes say a line and the audience wouldn’t laugh and I would sweat and sometimes go into convulsions.’ 

Perry wrote: ‘If I didn’t get the laugh I was supposed to get I would freak out. I felt that every single night. This pressure left me in a bad place. I also knew of the six people making that show, only one of them was sick.’

A fellow member of Perry’s recovery program told .com in an exclusive interview Tuesday: ‘Matty wasn’t drinking. He was a big part of our AA community. He was attending meetings, speaking at meetings and was working with a handful of newcomers.

‘He had a sponsor and was a sponsor. He seemed to be doing well.’

The insider said the actor had been focused on helping others battling addiction and had recently expressed interest in sharing his story through public speaking events.

‘Matty said he wanted to return to universities and speak about alcoholism. That was his gift. He could speak so well and motivate people,’ the source added.

‘It was important for him to reach the younger generation and spread his Don’t Give Up message. He really lived by those words.’