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Carter, 66, isn’t famous, but he performs almost every day to an international audience at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Travelers lucky enough to hear him often find themselves mesmerized by his music.
This is what happened to Carlos Whittaker, a motivational speaker who returned home to Tennessee on Wednesday morning after a speech was canceled.
“I was very disappointed that morning and had to reorient myself to Atlanta. As I walked down the lobby I heard someone playing the piano and I just had to walk past them. “Whittaker, 46, told CNN. “There was Tonee, coming down and going into town and I knew I just had to stay there.”
For an hour and a half, Whittaker sat at the piano bar in Hall A, listening to the music that seemed to flow effortlessly from Carter’s fingertips. The author, podcaster and Instagram influencer also took videos of the musician and shared them with his “InstaFamilia”, which has over 200,000 subscribers.
Eventually, the two began to talk, even sharing intimate details about their lives.
When Carter returned to his piano, Whittaker had an idea.
“Suddenly I was wondering what would happen if I asked my Instagram followers if we could give him the biggest tip he’s ever received,” he said. “In 30 minutes, we had raised $ 10,000.”
“I just lost him. I thought he was kidding, I just couldn’t believe it. It just doesn’t happen,” Carter told CNN. “I didn’t know how to feel. It’s the kind of thing I do. I love giving and giving and helping people, but I didn’t expect someone to do it for me.”
Before Whittaker boarded his plane, he told his followers they could continue to tip Carter on Venmo and CashApp.
“By the time I landed in Nashville, it was $ 20,000. And by the time I interviewed him for my podcast that night, it was $ 44,000. And from that conversation, it was $ 44,000. ‘is $ 61,000, “Whittaker said Friday night.
Despite health problems, he is “the happiest man in the world”
Carter was only 6 years old when his father, also a pianist, took him to a Ray Charles concert.
“I was done. I knew exactly this was what I wanted to do and I’ve been obsessed ever since,” said the musician, whose stage name is Valentine. “Once it’s in your heart, it’s in you and it’s not going anywhere.”
Carter said no matter what happens in the world the music reminds him that “life is beautiful”.
“When I play I feel like the happiest man in the world,” he added. “The happiest person in the world. I’m the happiest playing the piano and watching people react to that happiness with theirs.”
But Carter hasn’t had the easiest life. In fact, he’s lucky to be alive.
In 2008, while working as a pianist on a cruise ship, Carter learned he had kidney disease. Her doctor told her her kidneys were only working 10%.
The diagnosis changed her life. For decades before that, he performed in bands and worked on cruise ships. But now he has to book his evenings for life-saving dialysis treatment.
“I have to do what I have to do for a living. But I’m so happy, because when I’m not on dialysis, I don’t have heart problems, brain tumors or cancer. Maybe I don’t. haven’t worked the kidneys, but I get up and go to work every day, ”he said.
“Yes my life is a bit awkward and yes it is not what it used to be. No I have no more strength and yes I am weak sometimes and a lot of my days are not good but Damn I’m here I’m happy Damn yeah I’m the happiest person I know.
He intends to pay it forward
Carter donned a costume and drove to the airport on Wednesday, where he has worked as a pianist for 13 years. He didn’t expect anything extraordinary to happen. He was just excited to play music for strangers as always.
“I love working here. It’s the best job I’ve ever had. It’s a different energy, people go on vacation or on a business trip or go with their loved ones, they are happy,” said he declared. “And when people are having a miserable day, they’ll walk past me and things will get a little brighter. They’ll start patting their feet and clapping their hands on the table and thinking, ‘Okay, I can do that. . ‘”
But then Whittaker, whom Carter calls an “angel,” walked past and everything changed.
“It was a typical day and this guy walks up and introduces himself and says he wants to interview me for his podcast,” Carter said. “He asked me what my story was and I said ‘I really don’t have a story, I’m pretty boring. All I do is play the piano.'”
But the two quickly became friends, and within hours thousands of people around the world knew Carter’s name and were even giving him advice.
“It made me cry for days, not because of the total, but because of the individual donations,” Carter said. “I looked at all the donations and saw so many that were $ 0.50, $ 1, $ 2. My heart was pounding because I knew they were giving me what they had. People were giving. by love.”
CNN independently verified the amount collected and sent to Carter.
Whittaker has used his Instagram platform to raise funds for others in the past.
“My online community has become that thing where we all collectively decide to change someone’s life whenever we have the chance,” said Whittaker. “I know people with 1 million followers who can’t raise a few thousand dollars, but we’re only 200,000 and they’re just giving and they’re so excited about it. It’s a blessing.”
The first thing Carter plans to do with the money is change the oil in his car, he joked. But after that, he says he’ll use it to help people like Whittaker helped him.
“This $ 60,000 is not mine. It is money that will go to others,” Carter said. “There is only one way to say thank you, because words are insufficient. And that is to pay forward.”
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