Did your hometown have a local music store?
In smaller sized cities and towns, there is typically at least one local music store or supplier where local musicians and aspiring artists hang out. In high schools around the country, there always seems to be a clique of like-minded individuals who care about creating art and who are music connoisseurs. Still, the passion and talent for music can be present at any age—and it can show up under the most unlikely of circumstances.
That was the case in one video from a music store in New York City that recently went viral.
The shop in question is Dan’s Chelsea Guitars in Chelsea, New York City.
It was a normal day like any other until 13-year-old Brendan MacFarlane walked in. MacFarlane is a young Scottish singer with hopes of starting a musical career and was in the store presumably to look around. In the middle of everything, he began to sing a rousing cover of “Just Another Day,” a blues classic by Sam Cooke and the Soul Stirrers. Although Cooke has an incredible voice that is without parallel, MacFarlane does it in his own powerful way.
Although he is still young, MacFarlane’s vocal performance is powerful and pays tribute the genre.
In fact, the performance he gives is so strong that the store owner stops MacFarlane halfway through. After a moment, he hands another onlooker a camera so that they can film the song as well! To put it simply, the store owner says that he can’t believe what he’s hearing:
“He didn’t sing it like Hank [Williams], he was singing like the guy who taught Hank!”
After everyone is situated the second time around, MacFarlane finishes the song and everyone in the store is in awe.
It’s always rewarding to discover new talent, especially when it comes from someone so young drawing from a tradition that is so old! The video has been viewed on YouTube at least 17 million times, though other accounts have also uploaded it for even more views than that. For his part, MacFarlane has his own website where fans can follow his developing career as a singer/songwriter. This video is one that demands to be watched again and again.
We’ll keep an eye out for your first it single, Brendan!
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