A homeless man from New York City is the newest YouTube sensation. A video of James Percell belting out lyrics to his song “Everything Must Change” has suddenly gone viral with over 1 million views over a year after it was posted.
Percell says he wrote the song a few years ago hoping to give it to Michael Jackson, but then the King of Pop died.
The song was also written because of the things that Percell was going through at the time and what he says was the lack of help from others.
“The world has no mercy, no humility. They see you starving or whatever your going through and they just passing by and they just can’t lend a hand,” he said in the video.
Percell told the New York Post he has been homeless on and off again since the age 0f 18 ,but has never given up on his dream of becoming a famous singer.
This past spring he auditioned for talent reality show The X-Factor, but said he was rejected because he is homeless.
The judge…said, ‘How can we contact you?’ [But] once he knew I was homeless, his persona changed. He said, ‘Well, listen, maybe next time,'” Percell told the New York Post.
The would-be singer said he also auditioned for the The Voice and although he did not make the cut, he will try out for the show again.
Percell gives credit to a “higher power” for his talent ,but thinks his gift was also his downfall.
“I lived for music man. I lived on the edge for music,” he said. “It was my dream, my passion…I neglected everything for the love of music.”
Percell’s search for fame comes just about a year and a half after video of homeless voiceover artist Ted Williams displaying his “golden voice” went viral.
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