Atlanta airport pianist earns $83,000 in tips after video shared to Instagram

"This guy, Carlos Whittaker, blew into my life like a tsunami," Valentine said. "I was having a typical day at work, and now, I've been blessed by this man and his followers."

Whittaker was also caught off guard: He wasn't expecting Valentine's backstory.

When Whittaker started talking to him, Valentine shared he received nightly dialysis treatment for kidney disease. Despite the hours-long time spent hooked to an IV, the man told the Instagram star that he had it much better than others.

"He's just so happy and joyful," Whittaker said. "He kind of has this smile that he does when he plays where his mouth is halfway open like he's laughing. It's just his energy is very impactful."

Unbeknownst to Valentine, Whittaker told his hundreds of thousands of followers to send money. While Valentine resumed his performance, Whittaker's phone started ringing with Venmo notifications like a slot machine.

About half an hour later, Valentine returned to his table, where Whittaker filmed his reaction to the fortunate news.

"They just deposited $10,000," Whittaker said.

Valentine, confused, asked: "Who's they?"

"170,000 strangers that loved your piano playing," Whittaker explained. "I asked them to give you money, and in 35 minutes - because you're a great human being, and you're changing people's lives when you do this, and you're so sincere, and people love you - I got it in my Venmo."

"Come on, man," Valentine repeated in shock.

"Are you kidding me, man?"

This is not the first time Whittaker's followers, which he calls his "Instafamilia," have contributed to helping others: They've funded a pregnant woman living in an RV, a woman with epilepsy who wanted a seizure alert dog and lodging for inner-city Brooklyn children camping in Alaska's wilderness, Whittaker said.

Inspired by the generosity of Whittaker's online family, Valentine said he intends to pay the money forward instead - although he said he was considering getting his car's oil changed.

So, how does one become an airport pianist?

Valentine could play the piano since he was five, realising he was going to be a professional player when he saw singer and songwriter Ray Charles perform. At 20, he got his first gig at a nightclub - paying $US22. Eleven years and 87 countries later, Valentine had travelled the world as a pianist on cruise ships, he said, returning to playing at a local restaurant. That's when a man approached him with an offer: There was an opening at the airport. Valentine declined, but the man asked him to try it out for an hour.

"I tried it for an hour, but I stayed for three," he said. "I was having such a good time, 13 years later, I'm still there."

At the airport, the audience "is in a good mindset," Valentine said.

"They're going to see loved ones, they're going on a business trip, they're going on vacation," he said.

For the number of travellers awestruck by the music, Valentine has a box in his bedroom full of notes from people thanking him for his performances at the airport. His set changes depending on his crowd, transitioning between oldies and modern hits with ease. When a child toddles by, Valentine switches to Baby Shark.

"If you need some classical, I got that," he said. "If you need some gospel, I can do that too. If you need something to shake your booty at, I got you, too."

For 16 hours a week, Valentine hopes to share some melody in a place that, for some, can feel inharmonious. Whether it's an Instagram audience of hundreds of thousands or a weary passenger grabbing a bite between flights, Valentine plays.

"Some people are listening, some people aren't," he said. "But for me, it's not a big deal, because I enjoy playing the music. I play for one person like I play for 300. It doesn't matter."

The Washington Post