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Homeless man catapults onto music industry's radar with viral performance of original song

His unique voice and his song, "Ghost of You," has people raving.

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Homeless man catapults onto music industry's radar with viral song

You sometimes hear about how older stars got their start by simply walking into a soda shop or book store and someone with connections liking something about them. For instance, Charlize Theron has shared how she was discovered after making a scene at a bank in Hollywood by her agent, who would later cash her check for her and give her his business card.

You don't really hear many stories like that anymore. Most people are discovered after years and years of making connections the good ol' fashioned way. So when you hear about someone down on their luck getting launched into the spotlight, it's something people tend to celebrate because it's such a rare occurrence.

Andrew "Donut" Larsen has taken social media by storm after a video of him recorded some time ago by a stranger went viral recently on TikTok. Larsen was sitting outside of a gas station with his guitar when he asked someone to buy him a beer in exchange for him playing an original song. The song blew the passerby away, but with the song's recent virility, Larsen's life is quickly changing.

The song "Ghost of You," the original song by Larsen, started charting as soon as he released it. In a short time, he went from being homeless and singing for change on street corners in southern states to being flown out to Los Angeles and Nashville to meet with record executives. While it remains unclear if Larsen has signed a record deal, he recorded the single that grabbed everyone's attention in a professional recording studio.

@donut.larsen Thank you for all the support. Like and follow and I will keep posting more. 💚🍩 #music #blues #thankyou #FYP ♬ original sound - Dönut Larsen

The young rising star is also no longer completely homeless as he has been living in Airbnbs through people's donations from his social media account. "Ghost of You"sounds like a mixture of blues and classic country music, but it's Larsen's amazing tones and raspy voice that really sells the emotion behind the lyrics.

The original video made its way onto other social media platforms where it's also gone viral. People can't get over watching someone's career take off from the beginning, especially seeing where the musician started. Larsen even got to play "Gallon of Mad Dog,"another original song, at the TikTok office in Los Angeles after he was invited by the social media giant.

@donut.larsen Thank you so much @TikTok ♬ original sound - Dönut Larsen

According to Larsen, who shares in another video that he has a manager handling his social media pages, he's working on professionally recording several other songs and looking for bandmates. He's hoping to release his next single soon, but in the meantime he's trying to get accustomed to the newfound attention while remaining focused on honing his craft.

"Quick update, we're in Nashville, we're at the Airbnb now. It's been a busy week. We've not really stopped since Sunday night. We've been recording and we've been talking to labels. We've been running around meeting writers and publishers, and playing parties, it's just been really crazy, really busy but things are going well," Larsen shares in a video update.

He thanks the people following along with his journey but is still in disbelief that people want to hear his music. Commenters have nothing but positive vibes to send to the newly discovered musician.

"Seen you on tik tok ab a month ago and ive been and now ur all the way in the state I live making music, its crazy. Wish you luck man," one person writes.

"Keep going with your style. I have played the TikTok ghost of you on repeat. Your style of music hits me right in the spot," another says.

@donut.larsen Things are going well! Were making things happen, folks!! #fly #donutlarsen #nashville ♬ original sound - Dönut Larsen

"Your singing touched my spirit and I’m certain other people feel the same. I’m rooting for you and pray you have the strength to endure all of your good fortune and what life brings you in the future," a commenter shares.

"Heyy, i’ve been following you since your first video on TikTok and I just wanted to say that you’re amazing!! and your songs hits!! I know that you’re one day gonna be one of the biggest artists," someone else writes.

During a live stream, which was uploaded to his TikTok page, someone asked how much his head is spinning from everything happening so fast. Larsen replied, "I somehow managed to stay in a pretty calm headspace, like I'm not shaking. I'm not freaking out at the prospect of everything," before elaborating. "It is pretty crazy though. I've never been flown out anywhere like that before so that's pretty cool."

@donut.larsen Ghost of you coming this friday, made a few adjustments so it sounded extra good for yall 🖤
♬ original sound - Dönut Larsen

In his snippet from his professionally recorded version of "Ghost of You,"he again thanks his listeners, saying, "I really can't thank y'all enough, 'Ghost Of You' is out now. This past few weeks has been so insane. I found a place to stay for a little bit, got in a studio, just dropped my first song. Love y'all this has been so incredible."

Right now it seems Larsen is still in talks with different record labels, but his fanbase is hoping he will be able to sign with someone soon. But for now the singer is off the streets living a surreal experience that his growing fanbase can follow along with. You can stream his single "Ghost of You" on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube and Deezer.

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Texas community tackles homelessness in unique faith-based way, and it seems to be working

Proselytizing is banned, "preaching the gospel" is done through deeds, not words, and a caring community is continually being built.

Mobile Loaves & Fishes/YouTube

Community First! Village

"Housing alone will never solve homelessness, but community will."

That's the philosophy of Mobile Loaves & Fishes, a faith-based organization in Travis County, Texas, that provides not only housing, but a caring, supportive community for people who have experienced chronic homelessness.

Homelessness is a challenging issue that affects communities across the United States, from small rural towns to large urban centers. It looks different in different places and for different people, but according to the 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report, more than 580,000 people experienced homelessness in the United States on any given day in 2022.

Figuring out how to solve the multi-faceted problem is an ongoing struggle. Some advocate for simply providing housing, but that doesn't address the issues that might cause someone to be unable to maintain a home. Some suggest tackling the addiction and mental health disorders at the root of many homeless experiences, but that alone won't solve the problem, either.

Mobile Loaves & Fishes doesn't claim to have solved the homeless crisis, but the Community First! Village they've built sure looks like a solid step toward addressing it effectively.

Sitting at the outskirts of northeast Austin, Community First! Village is a 51-acre master-planned housing development that "provides affordable, permanent housing and a supportive community for men and women coming out of chronic homelessness." The village, which has been built up slowly and is slated to have 500 homes by the end of this year, has an outdoor movie theater and indoor spaces where residents can gather, an art house where they can create and express themselves, gardens where they can cultivate their own food and more.

Mobile Loves & Fishes founder Alan Graham taps into the heart of homelessness and explains why the community approach works with just a handful of words: "It's about being lonely, man."

The idea that community is the key to ending homelessness has been gleaned from the 35 years Mobile Loaves & Fishes has been serving meals and building relationships with their neighbors experiencing homelessness, learning about what they truly want and need. Their model is both simple and not—it's simple in its premise of focusing on personal connections, but multi-pronged in its approach to creating community. It truly takes a village to build this kind of community, but they're doing it.

As is clear in the name Mobile Loaves & Fishes, the organization doesn't hide its Christian foundation, but you'll rarely hear anyone involved talking about it overtly. Proselytizing in the community is not allowed—anyone who wants to share their faith shares it through deeds.

"What we want people to do is preach the gospel often, and only when necessary, use words," Graham told the Today show. They are all about showing love and faith through service rather than preaching to people about Christianity. "It's why most of our neighbors love Christ, but can't stand Christians," he added. There are no religious requirements in the community or for volunteers.

The community is not a utopia, of course. Residents bring struggles with them, but here they have a community to support them through those struggles.

"It's life. It's real life, with all the beauty in the marinade of dysfunction, all put into that one little tasty gumbo," said Graham. Residents aren't even required to be free from alcohol or drug use to find a home there.

"The two essential human needs are to be fully and wholly loved and fully and wholly known," said Graham. "And when you bring all that to the table, it creates an environment of welcoming."

Watch the Today show's segment on Community First! Village:

You can learn more about Mobile Loaves & Fishes and the other work they do in the Austin area to assist people experiencing homelessness at mlf.org.

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Owner of Sleep Trailer hopes to help end homelessness with his unique invention

“I wanted to give them a space that would be a real foundation and be a launch pad to help them break the cycle of homelessness.”

Sleep Trailer LLC TikTok screenshot

Sleep Trailer hopes to help end homelessness.

Homelessness has become an increasingly dire problem for people living in the United States over the past several years. While there are shelters available for some, space is limited and resources are stretched thin. In fact, many shelters don't allow people to be there during the day or have curfews that don't account for people who work night shifts, making shelters unaccommodating for some.

But some people are looking to find solutions outside of the norm, which is where Sleep Trailer comes in. Sleep Trailer is a mobile pod system created by Jason Christensen, who is the son of a cabinet maker and home builder. He built this unique trailer as a means to help people experiencing homelessness.

The Sleep Trailer sleeps up to eight people in secure cubbies that come complete with heating and cooling, a carbon monoxide and smoke detector and washable floors. Each pod is 8 feet long, 48 inches wide and 4 feet tall, so just big enough for someone to be fairly comfortable inside with a radio or small television. Jason did a tour of the Sleep Trailer prototype and it's racked up over 2.3 million views on TikTok.

"When I was looking for ways to help those experiencing homelessness, I wanted to do more than give somebody a meal for one day. I wanted to give them a space where they could be a real foundation and be a launch pad to help them break the cycle of homelessness," Christensen explained in the video.

Since he originally posted the video in order to help look for donors to help make this resource a reality, residents have moved into the completed Sleep Trailer.

From the subsequent videos on his TikTok page, @sleeptrailerllc, there appears to be an interview process before a resident is approved to move into one of the pods. He's hoping to make more Sleep Trailers to help more people, so he's continuing to accept donations through his GoFundMe, which has currently raised $11,324 of his $80,000 goal. Sleep Trailer LLC also has a monthly donation option set up that people can use to offer continued support.

You can see the virtual tour below:


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A better world begins with a pair of socks–how small acts of kindness create big change

A little comfort goes a long way.

All images provided by Bombas

We can all be part of the giving movement

True

We all know that small acts of kindness can turn into something big, but does that apply to something as small as a pair of socks?

Yes, it turns out. More than you might think.

A fresh pair of socks is a simple comfort easily taken for granted for most, but for individuals experiencing homelessness—they are a rare commodity. Currently, more than 500,000 people in the U.S. are experiencing homelessness on any given night. Being unstably housed—whether that’s couch surfing, living on the streets, or somewhere in between—often means rarely taking your shoes off, walking for most if not all of the day, and having little access to laundry facilities. And since shelters are not able to provide pre-worn socks due to hygienic reasons, that very basic need is still not met, even if some help is provided. That’s why socks are the #1 most requested clothing item in shelters.

homelessness, bombasSocks are a simple comfort not everyone has access to

When the founders of Bombas, Dave Heath and Randy Goldberg, discovered this problem, they decided to be part of the solution. Using a One Purchased = One Donated business model, Bombas helps provide not only durable, high-quality socks, but also t-shirts and underwear (the top three most requested clothing items in shelters) to those in need nationwide. These meticulously designed donation products include added features intended to offer comfort, quality, and dignity to those experiencing homelessness.

Over the years, Bombas' mission has grown into an enormous movement, with more than 75 million items donated to date and a focus on providing support and visibility to the organizations and people that empower these donations. These are the incredible individuals who are doing the hard work to support those experiencing —or at risk of—homelessness in their communities every day.

Folks like Shirley Raines, creator of Beauty 2 The Streetz. Every Saturday, Raines and her team help those experiencing homelessness on Skid Row in Los Angeles “feel human” with free makeovers, haircuts, food, gift bags and (thanks to Bombas) fresh socks. 500 pairs, every week.

beauty 2 the streetz, skid row laRaines is out there helping people feel their beautiful best

Or Director of Step Forward David Pinson in Cincinnati, Ohio, who offers Bombas donations to those trying to recover from addiction. Launched in 2009, the Step Forward program encourages participation in community walking/running events in order to build confidence and discipline—two major keys to successful rehabilitation. For each marathon, runners are outfitted with special shirts, shoes—and yes, socks—to help make their goals more achievable.

step forward, helping homelessness, homeless non profitsRunning helps instill a sense of confidence and discipline—two key components of successful recovery

Help even reaches the Front Street Clinic of Juneau, Alaska, where Casey Ploof, APRN, and David Norris, RN give out free healthcare to those experiencing homelessness. Because it rains nearly 200 days a year there, it can be very common for people to get trench foot—a very serious condition that, when left untreated, can require amputation. Casey and Dave can help treat trench foot, but without fresh, clean socks, the condition returns. Luckily, their supply is abundant thanks to Bombas. As Casey shared, “people will walk across town and then walk from the valley just to come here to get more socks.”

step forward clinic, step forward alaska, homelessness alaskaWelcome to wild, beautiful and wet Alaska!

The Bombas Impact Report provides details on Bombas’s mission and is full of similar inspiring stories that show how the biggest acts of kindness can come from even the smallest packages. Since its inception in 2013, the company has built a network of over 3,500 Giving Partners in all 50 states, including shelters, nonprofits and community organizations dedicated to supporting our neighbors who are experiencing- or at risk- of homelessness.

Their success has proven that, yes, a simple pair of socks can be a helping hand, an important conversation starter and a link to humanity.

You can also be a part of the solution. Learn more and find the complete Bombas Impact Report by clicking here.

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