Homeless man playing piano in Florida becomes instant online sensation with public performance
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Version 0 of 1. A homeless veteran who was filmed by a passer-by playing a communal piano in Florida has found unexpected fame after the video went viral online. Donald Gould, a former member of the US Marine Corps who aspired to become a music teacher when he left the service, has featured across local TV stations and had almost four million people view footage of him playing. He said he started using the Sarasota Keys Piano Project’s instruments recently in the hopes of busking for change – and was shocked when he became an online sensation. Local TV station ABC News 7 interviewed Gould, who said he started sleeping rough after going through a cycle of substance abuse when his wife suddenly died in 1998. The 51-year-old said he played the songs he had learned growing up, from Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” to Bach’s “Toccata”, with his own spin on each one. “I was thinking I could just put my hat on the piano and make a couple dollars and get tips,” Gould says. “I didn't expect it to jump out to this.” ABC News 7 reported that since the video of Gould had gone viral, one fan had got in touch with a local piano bar which said it would be happy to try him out for a regular performing role. |