Burbank said she thinks his music has struck a chord because it's become representative of what people have lost.

"It's really helping people heal," she said.

Burbank said proceeds from the CD would go toward the Daniel O'Neil Memorial Fund for scholarships and charities that O'Neil supported. It was too early to say when the disc would be available.

Virginia Tech student radio station WUVT-FM also has received requests to play O'Neil's music, station news director Aydin Akyurtlu said. But because there's no CD yet, the station hasn't been able to. He said the station would quickly consider playing the CD once it's out.

Steve Craveiro, a high school friend of O'Neil's, said if O'Neil knew how many people had listened to his songs this week, he would be pleased, but modest.

"He would make jokes about it, he was so down to earth," Craveiro said. "I think inside he would also be really happy."

O'Neil graduated from Lincoln High School in 2002 and from Lafayette College in Easton, Pa., in 2006. His funeral is scheduled for Tuesday.

O'Neil's friends also organized a remembrance and celebration of O'Neil's life for Saturday evening. They asked people to bring candles and flowers, and said there would be an open mic for people to talk about their memories of O'Neil or to play music.

"We kind of want to do the things that we would have done if he were here," Craveiro said, "and one of the things we did together was play music."

Contributions can be sent to the Daniel O'Neil Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 111, Manville, R.I. 02838.