Бездомный пианист Рэйс Уинн-Джонс нашел жилье после сбора 40 тысяч фунтов на благотворительность

Homeless pianist Rhys Wynne-Jones gets new place to live after going viral and raising £40,000 for charity Rhys Wynne-Jones, known as The Nightchurch Pianist, was homeless for more than one decade, but is now a nationwide phenomenon and receives voice messages from Peter Andre Night News Editor Talented pianist who was homeless for over a decade finally has a home A gifted pianist who was homeless for more than a decade and raised around £40,000 for charities has now secured somewhere to live. ‌ Rhys Wynne-Jones, 34, walked into a church when he was living rough and asked if he could play the piano. Rhys says tinkling the ivories helps him cope and remain calm, but he received a standing ovation from the audience on that night. ‌ And, despite living on the streets, the young man has since enjoyed numerous ovations for his performances and become known as The Nightchurch Pianist. He rubbed shoulders with the stars last year at the Pride of Britain Awards. Now, his performances have helped raised around £40,000 for charities and Rhys, who was in the Army, has finally secured a place he can call home. He has moved into a new development, operated by Coastline Housing, in west Cornwall. ‌ READ MORE: 'I was sleeping rough and using crack cocaine - now I'm helping solve the UK's food waste crisis' Reflecting on his journey, Rhys said: "It’s a common misconception that homelessness signals an individual’s failure. There is such a variety of backgrounds and circumstances – and it’s that which has failed them. ‌ "I don’t see myself as a professional pianist or a celebrity figure. I only need enough money to cover my expenses – I just love to play the piano to raise money for homeless charities and good causes." But Rhys, who was an entertainer at a holiday park before he became homeless, went viral with his impromptu performance of Bohemian Rhapsody at Penzance’s St Mary’s Church in January 2024. Rhys, who grew up in Kent, moved to Cornwall with his family in 2008, but when his parents divorced, he found himself without a home. His interest in the piano began after he was inspired by his sister’s singing lessons as a child. As part of his act, Rhys recites all the countries of the world, the elements of the periodic table, and the first 100 digits of maths number Pi. He even raps. ‌ Speaking to Falmouth Packet, Rhys continued: "There is a lot of noise in my head, but when I play piano my head goes quiet, I feel calm. It feels different from anything I do. I feel like I need to do it." He told the publication playing the piano helps his mental health, adding: "I need to heal, because the pain doesn’t end just because you’ve got a key. People don’t find it easy to go back to the system which broke them in the first place. "If you’re homeless, you sit outside of the world. If you want to know what the world looks like after you’ve died, sleep on the streets. It just goes on without you." Article continues below Rhys has won awards for his talent over the years, collaborated with Aussie pop prince Peter Andre on a television pilot and has a series of gigs planned in a variety of venues including a theatre production in Bristol.