You may know Mike Yung as the subway singing YouTube sensation who went viral in 2016. You may know Mike Yung as the 2017 America’s Got Talent semi-finalist. You may not know Mike Yung by name or face, but simply by the sound of his booming, raw, emotional voice that’s brought joy to the NYC subways for the past 38 years. And if you don’t know Mike Yung at all, within seconds of hearing his voice, you’ll become a fan (assuming you have a heart).

Mike got his start singing early in life. He signed with RCA Records at the tender age of 14. At 19 he joined T-Electric Records, which already had Etta James and Luther Vandross among its artists. After releasing James’s Changes album in 1980, Mike’s album was up next for release. Before that could happen, the label went bankrupt in a crushing twist of fate. Unable to secure another recording deal, Mike was back to square one after coming so close, so young. “It was a crushing experience, man,” Mike told OurBKSocial. “When you get a record deal, that’s your ticket out of the hood. And when the label goes bankrupt, so does your ticket.”

Mike Yung is the Brownsville Busker Who 'Never Gave Up'
Photo courtesy of THEESEANMARTIN

Hailing from Brownsville, Mike was already resilient at a young age. “[Being from Brownsville] taught me two things: Be tough and believe in yourself,” Mike said. He kept his eye on his dream of singing for a living, but took a job with the NYC Parks Department in the meantime. His friend was singing in the subways for money at the time, and he suggested Mike join him. Mike was initially skeptical, but his friend assured him he’d make more money busking than he would at the Parks Department.

38-years later, Mike is still singing in the subways. The city and its subway system have changed completely in that time, but Mike has been there for it all. The subway riding population has fluctuated as the subways became unsafe and then safe once again. The money was good for a while, but according to Mike, “The money’s not like it used to be because everybody carries plastic.”

Although money can get tight sometimes while supporting his wife and kids, Mike derives value from other sources as well. Speak with him for just a couple minutes and you’ll see how much joy he gets from connecting with his audience. When times get tough, the people he reaches with his music get Mike through. “People think I’m crazy to keep doing this for almost 40 years, but you have to put your mind in a different state,” he says. “Me, I get dressed [every day] and say ‘I’m going to perform in Madison Square Garden.” The beauty of performing in the subway — and doing it for as long as Mike has — is the diverse audience that he can reach in just a few minutes.

Mike’s positive attitude and unflappable spirit have kept him going as well. Every morning he gets up in Brownsville, walks to the bus stop, takes the bus to the subway, and rides the subway into Manhattan. He performs in the subway stations, singing over passing trains and crowd noise until his voice gives out after four or five hours. The tough conditions don’t bother Mike, though: “You don’t see the trains, you don’t hear the noise. You just see the people. People come up to you and say, ‘I had the worst day in the world. I heard your voice coming down the stairs, and you just made my day.’ To me, that’s better than money.”

Mike Yung is the Brownsville Busker Who 'Never Gave Up'
Photo courtesy of THEESEANMARTIN

His voice is powerful enough to send the three little pigs running, but warm enough to soften the hearts of even the coldest New Yorkers. Singing is a full body activity for Mike. He moves around and constantly gestures with his arms, pleading with the crowd to hear his words, his message. He leans forward, drawn in by the potential for connection with the audience, and raises his eyebrows as though he’s making an urgent announcement to the world. While he performs mostly old school soul and R&B like Bill Withers or Sam Cooke, he’s also covered songs like Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud.”

One fateful day in 2016, everything changed for Mike. Music manager Danny Kang was in New York from LA, wandering around the 23rd Street subway station when he heard Mike pouring his soul out on the platform. Recognizing a special voice, Kang recorded Mike singing on his phone. Then he skipped his flight back to LA and called his partner Brad Kurtzman to tell him what he’d just heard. They decided to work with Mike and help him realize his dream of recording an album, contributing money out of their own pockets in the absence of other funding.

Kang’s video of Mike went viral. In just a few days, the video garnered millions of views and landed Mike a couple of TV gigs, including a performance on The Late Late Show with James Corden. Still, no record labels came knocking and Mike’s 15 minutes of fame came and went. Yet again so close to his dream, but so far away. Speaking about bouncing back from adversity time and again, Mike’s words could be lyrics to a song: “See I have no regrets. I never look back. That’s how I’ve made it this far. Never look back and never give up.” Any other man would’ve been totally devastated, but not Mike. He got back out there and kept singing.

A year later, Mike landed a spot on America’s Got Talent. His audition earned a standing ovation from the audience and also from notorious asshole, Simon Cowell. Mike won over the audience through each round and reached the semifinals, but he was then eliminated. Things looked as dire as ever for Mike. Danny and Brad had poured in nearly every cent they had, and even after his AGT success, record labels still had no interest in signing a 57-year-old soul singer.

America’s Got Talent, while it hadn’t paid anything, had granted Mike one thing: an expanded fan base. More than ever, Mike received tremendous love and support when he returned to the subways after the show. This additional attention gave Mike the brilliant idea to crowdsource his album, and the Never Give Up Kickstarter was born. With a base goal of $75,000 and an ideal goal of $250,000, Mike and his team set the bar high. They also came up with a detailed budget to show how every penny of the money raised would be spent. After that, all they could do was hope that Mike’s fans would come through. And come through they did.

As of this article’s writing, the Kickstarter has exceeded its initial $75,000 goal, raising $80,462 with two weeks left in the campaign. Mike excitedly said, “This is a real good spot that I’m in now. People are feeling so gratified to say, ‘I’m getting a chance to help Mike Yung, and he should’ve had this 30 years ago.” Mike and his team have been in LA working on the album, which will blend Mike’s old school soul with more contemporary music to create a unique sound that will appeal to just about everyone. Speaking about the album, Danny Kang says, “Kids today will listen to it, and so will 70 year-old grandmas….We feel like Mike’s voice is timeless, and it really deserves a shot in today’s climate.”

The album’s first single, “Alright,” came out last month, featuring a hopeful message and an inspiring visual along with it. As Mike tells the world, “Everything is gonna be alright,” he showcases a finesse in his voice that he can’t afford to employ when competing with the constant noise of the subway station. He still lets his voice loose, but the single showcases a previously unseen diversity in his vocal arsenal. The production quality is top notch, and the background vocals and instrumental have a very Gary Clark Jr./Aloe Blacc-ish vibe. For those of Mike’s fans (myself included) who get nervous when they hear about an album that aims to appeal to such a wide audience, the single is a welcome reassurance that Mike can modernize his sound without losing his essence, the soulfulness that makes him so great.

The target release date for the album is fall of 2018. While the album’s release is a culmination of a lifetime of hardship and grueling work for Mike, this will be the beginning for him, not the end. “I can do this for another 20 years,” Mike says. With his insatiable desire to connect with as many people and spread as much positivity as possible, Mike will look to extend his reach beyond the New York City subways. Given his incredible voice and unshakeable resolve, there’s no limit to what he can achieve.