Superstar Rod Stewart Hears Street Performer Play His Song, Grabs Mic and Starts to Sing
Street performers are common in every major city around the world. Some sing or play an instrument, while others juggle or even perform magic.
Many people are in such a rush that they just pass by these performers with barely a nod.
Others may pause for a minute before dropping some spare change into a cup and moving on.
That all changed for one lucky London performer earlier in November. Henry Facey, a London “busker” (a British term for a street performer), was playing Rod Stewart’s “Handbags and Gladrags” on his guitar.
A modest crowd had formed, but it was about to get much larger.
Just then, Stewart himself walked by.
According to Newsner, “He just happened to be strolling through Piccadilly Circus when he passed Henry.” Newsner went on to note that, “He couldn’t pass up the chance to perform the duet, and asked the musician if he could borrow his microphone.”
Of course, Facey agreed, and Stewart began to sing.
People quickly began to take note, and the modest crowd grew in size.
The performance is short but powerful. Stewart’s iconic voice pairs nicely with Facey’s simple accompaniment and cheers of wonder can be heard from the elated crowd.
The Scottish Sun explained, Stewart “used to busk with a harmonica before joining bands and then releasing his first solo album in 1969.
And he’s now gone on to sell more than 100 million records worldwide.”
Busking once again, Stewart had returned to his roots, of which he is clearly very proud. His appearance also reflected this pride, and the Daily Mail noted: “The proud Scotsman wore his colours proudly on [his] tartan coat.”
The Daily Mail was also quick to note that Stewart’s impromptu performance, although brief, helped to boost the career of Facey, who has since become quite well known.
At the end of the performance, an elated Facey thanks Stewart, who pats him kindly in farewell.
It’s nice to see that even someone with the star power of Rod Stewart can pause for a moment to spread some joy and help a developing musician’s career. Next time you pass a street performer, take note — you could be watching a superstar in the making!
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