Goodwill shoppers in Norwalk, Ohio received an impromptu performance by an unexpected visitor recently. A man walked into the store and couldn’t resist the temptation to play the piano sitting near the front door.
Chris Matta, an employee of the Goodwill store, said she was moved to tears by the surprising concert.
It turns out that the man’s name is Gary Desmond, and he immediately noticed the old piano displayed near the front of the store. Having a love for pianos, Desmond couldn’t help but take a seat on the bench and start tickling the ivories.
After a few moments of playing, Matta said she was immediately reminded of an old friend of hers that passed away years ago. So much so, that they even wore the same clothes and had the same demeanor.
“It just kind of overwhelmed me,” she told Fox News 8. “He looked just like an old friend, Chris. He even dressed like what Chris would have worn years ago. And what’s odd is we normally don’t have the piano up front. We normally keep them toward the back, but there was a lady that was supposed to be coming to pick it up. It was just a weird scenario.”
As it turns out, Desmond learned to the play the piano by ear and likes to play one whenever they are around. Matta couldn’t believe the similarities to her friend and had to film the incredible performance.
Matta captured a short video of Desmond playing the 1963 song “Alley Cat,” and posted it on Facebook. She told local news that she feels the surprise performance happened for a reason and that it meant a lot to her.
“It was just my buddy Chris, saying hello from heaven,” she said. “He was killed in a car accident when he was 18, so of course I wouldn’t know what he would like as an older man, but he just always wore those silly T-shirts and jeans (like Desmond was). It was just like him. It was so bizarre.”
Since the video was uploaded, it has been viewed over 4.2 million times. Matta was shocked by the response.
“I was so surprised,” she said. “I think it was just a feel-good video and I think it brought back so many memories. It’s just crazy the particular song he played, that it’s around Christmas and I think it touched so many people. It was amazing — the song and the way his fingers danced around the keys, the ambiance of it. It was just one of those things. Just blessed to be apart of it.”
The full Facebook post is below. “This gifted gentleman just walked into my store and moved me to tears! Listen for yourself. Only at Norwalk Goodwill, in Norwalk, Ohio.”
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