Life is full of surprises.
What are the odds of a Scottish singer bumping into a busker performing one of his 80’s classics?
Not high at all, but when it does happen, it’s definitely a big deal—and fortunately, it was captured on video in this performance.
In this clip, a busker sings “Smalltown Boy” by Bronski Beat.
When out of nowhere, Jimmy Sommerville of Bronski Beat joins in and begins to sing along!
Sommerville is the original singer of “Smalltown Boy” and the surprise turned out quite well.
A street performer leans against a wall while strumming his blue guitar.
He has a hat in front of him and his audience is recording every moment.
A man walking his dog stops and starts singing along.
Is that… Sommerville?! It is him! The busker stops his music and says, “Oh wait, one two three!”
The appealing side is how musicians are ready to share the spotlight. It’s an incredible moment and their different voices blend perfectly.
When the original singer approaches you and sings along with your performance of his song, you must be really good.
I doubt this busker ever thought he’d run into Somerville.
Jimmy is such a humble guy, acting as if he’s of no importance and just out and about for some fun.
In the end, the busker asks him: “Is that you?”
Sommerville laughs it off. Needless to say, it’s a pretty epic moment! The most beautiful part is that this was definitely not staged. It is the real deal all the way!
What an amazing duet this was!
Pure talent on that street corner.
Sommerville walked up and helped sing his own song, which is definitely not a common occurrence.
The busker must have been so awestruck that he had to take a few days to process this! He’s going to remember this for the rest of his life.
This moment was priceless.
The busker’s reaction, the pause, the count-in, and Jimmy’s dog who just wanted to keep walking.
Their voices complemented each other perfectly, and you’ve got to love how Jimmy manages to hold the tone the whole time. We would love it if Sommerville did an unplugged acoustic version, just like he sang it here—one clip is simply not enough!
This surprise duet now has over 11.1 million views on YouTube.
The video was uploaded when Sommerville was 52-years-old.
Despite his age, he still has his trademark tone. One of pop’s most unique vocals scored several hits since the 1980s and “Smalltown Boy” was the biggest one.
In an interview, he explained his motivations for pursuing music: “I wanted people to love me.”
We definitely love Sommerville’s funny gesture here that resulted in a moving video.
He continues to perform today as a solo artist and 2020 is full of upcoming concerts all over the UK.
Watch the impromptu performance for yourself in the video below.
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