But on his way to audition for the TV talent show The Piano at Liverpool Lime Street station, Brad Kella, a self-proclaimed "little scally", was approached by an officer.
"I was stood by the station entrance, looking really nervous," Kella, 22, said. "This policeman came over and asked what I was up to. I think he was expecting me to pull something out of my pocket.
I said I was about to play piano for Claudia Winkleman. His face completely changed." He was unfazed, sat at the station's piano and brought the busy concourse to a standstill. As a large crowd gathered, many people were moved to tears.
Kella revealed his chaotic childhood before performing his original song New Beginning dedicated to the foster parents who took him and his twin brother, Aron, in when they were seven.
"Growing up, we had no routine," he said. "I never went to school. I'd roam the streets until about 11pm, causing mayhem." He credits his foster parents, Frank and Evelyn (whom he fondly calls "Ev"), for turning his life around.
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Denne historien er fra June 08, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
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