Michael Young, aka Mike Yung, was born on November 15, 1989, in the United States. He is a singer and songwriter whom you might have come across showcasing his talent on the subways of New York. Mike first sang on the subway when he was 27-year-old to get a little cash. Since then, he has performed on the railway stations for 38 years to support his family. What else do you know about Mike Yung? Here are some quick facts that you might find interesting.
1. He was on “America’s Got Talent.”
Fans first fell in love with Mike’s voice in June 2017 when he first auditioned in episode 6 Season 12 of “America’s Got Talent.” Mike sang “Unchained Melody” by Righteous Brothers with his guitarist Shunta Sakamoto by his side. Later, Simon Cowell gave him a standing ovation sending him to the quarterfinals where he performed “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran. He got enough votes to send him to the semifinals. In the end, he did not get enough votes to get him to the finals, but Mike later returned for “American’s Got Talent: The Champions 2.” Unfortunately, he did not go as far as the semifinals because he did not have enough votes at the preliminaries.
2. He went back on the streets after “America’s Got Talent”
So many people gain fame from competition shows, and later they find the career path that earns them living. On the contrary, this was not the case for Mike Yung; after he got eliminated, Mike went back to the streets to perform and earn some money. Mike Yung said during an interview with Vpro Vrije that fame is not fortune because everywhere he went, everyone would know him, but it did not land him any gig.
3. He has no record deal
There are still a few reasons why a record label is essential, especially for upcoming artists. For instance, they help new musicians in distributing music and spend a lot of money to enable them to break into the mainstream media. Mike Yung and his team thought by the time he had gotten to the semifinals, he would have already obtained some offers from record labels. However, until now, they would not have gotten any proposal. Mike had some meetings with some record labels, but most of them claimed that he was a little bit older for him to be signed. Nevertheless, the subway singer has still not given up, and he is working on his album.
4. He got stabbed
As we know, the subways of New York are not the safest place to be since some people have been mugged. Mike was stabbed nine times and jumped a couple of times. The attacks were because of the donations he got, which he estimated to be $40 per day.
5. Mike started a campaign for funding
In August 2017, the 60-year-old singer had a funding page named Kickstarter. With the help of his manager, he created the page after he was on the show “America’s Got Talent.” The main aim of the Kickstarter campaign was to facilitate the debut of his album. He was able to release his first single on January 15, 2018, titled “Alright,” which was to remind people that one day everything will eventually pass. They are still hoping to reach the 250,000 dollars goal that will cover everything, including the album “Never Give Up” and Mike’s documentary.
6. The beginning of his music career
He was supposed to debut as a solo artist in 1974, but in 1975, he met Teddy Vann, a producer at Harlequin studios who got him a contract with Ron Moseley at RCA Records. At the age of 18, he got another deal with CBS. Later on, Jim Tyrell, the vice president of CBS, formed his own company called T-Electric, where Mike Yung, alongside other artists like Etta James and Love Committee were signed. In 1980 Jim Tyrell produced Etta James’ album, but before they could release Mike Yung’s record, the label went bankrupt. Consequently, Mike lost his dream of becoming a professional singer or even getting another record deal.
7. He sings in bands
For more than 20 years, Mike has continued paying his bills through his music. Mike has been singing with people who have been doing it as long as he has done it. Some of the bands he sings with include Dejá Blue, Majestic K-Funk, Whispers, and Sounds. They mostly perform soul and gospel without using a microphone.
8. How one of his performances went viral
Most videos that go viral have a story behind them, and not many people would expect that their video would have so many views. For Mike Yung’s video, to get the attention, he was noticed by a guy named Danny. In September 2016, Danny was roaming the streets of New York when he came across Mike on 23rd street station. He first tipped Mike 20 dollars and asked whether he could record him. Mike then put on his best show and sung “Unchained Melody” by Righteous Brothers. The song had forty million views on Facebook and over four million views on YouTube. Ever since a couple of his videos still go viral.
9. He was on the “Late Late Show.”
James Corden is a humorous host on the CBS Network who loves singing, and he has interviewed so many celebrities. After Mike Yung’s viral video in September 2016, the show tracked him down. They then requested him to perform with a single guitarist where his proficiency amused the audience. The video of his performance on” The Late Late Show” was trending again, prompting people to start tweeting about how skilled he was.
10. He has worked with Martin Garrix
Hard to believe, but Mike earned himself a collaboration with the 23-year-old superstar. Martin Garrix is a renowned EDM DJ from the Netherlands. Mike and Martin Garrix released the single “Dreamer” in November 2018, both having contributed to the songwriting. The song shows the life of Mike Yung, which includes the videos taken using a phone during his time on the show, “America’s Got Talent.” Meanwhile, the single has 26 million views on YouTube.
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