Homeless US man nets recording contract, set to release first single

A homeless Florida man who achieved international fame after a video of him playing piano on a city street went viral, is now set to release his first single.

Pianist Donald Gould’s life on the streets of Sarasota, battling addiction, was transformed after a passer-by posted one of his performances to YouTube in August last year.

The video sparked global news coverage, celebrity praise and an invitation to perform the national anthem at a televised NFL game.

The local community also launched a GoFundMe campaign to help him get on his feet, and bit by bit Mr Gould began to turn his life around, moving into a halfway home and reconnecting with an estranged son.

Then out of the blue, a record producer from Triple Pop Records approached Mr Gould, offering him a recording contract.

Mr Gould has since gone on to produce his first single, a performance of the very same song that helped him to achieve worldwide fame, Come Sail Away by Styx.

“I never saw myself or anything like this ever happening,” Mr Gould told News Channel 8.

“I tell people the odds of me winning $100 million playing the Lotto are better than something like this happening.

“You should always dream big.”

Come Sail Away is currently available for pre-sale on iTunes and will be released on May 27.

Have a good news story you’d like to share? We’d like to hear from you. You can reach us at contact@9news.com.au