A Songfilled Beggar

A Story by Lizzy

wrote this based on the following prompt: Write about a beggar who loves to hear himself sing.

Sam Harper stood on the same street corner that he had stood on everyday for the last five weeks. His nails were caked with dirt, his hair was a rat’s nest and his beard covered his neck. The cardboard sign in his hand was bent; the words “Homeless Veteran Please Help” were barely visible. But Sam didn’t care; he was just thankful to be alive.

As the day went on more and more cars rolled by and the money in his jar started to stack up, not because of his sign but rather his singing. Sam loved to sing, had loved singing since he was a little boy. The songs he sang varied; he just sang whatever came to his mind. His voice was filled with passion, so much passion that even the most tone deaf person could see how much these songs meant to him.

That spring day was a pivotal moment in Sam Harper’s life. A passing motorist who heard his sing during her lunch break was a reporter for a local news channel. Three hours later she came back with a camera crew to interview Sam, the interview that changed his life.

Her interview with Sam aired the next day and by the evening was played on the major networks and even YouTube. That interview was seen by a secretary of a record label, who showed the YouTube video to her boss. The record executive loved the sound of Sam’s voice and immediately booked a flight to Phoenix to find him.

On Friday afternoon Sam was singing on his street corner when the record executive approached him and offered to buy him lunch. The discussion over a Big Mac meal led to Sam leaving Phoenix for the bright lights of LA.

And the rest as they say is history.