LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Holiday shopping can be a nightmare.
Crowded malls, so many people bumping and shoving through stores to find what they need.
Black Friday usually doubles down on that chaos.
However, there was some musical accompaniment to counter the stressful atmosphere.
While reporting on the start of holiday shopping last Friday, LEX 18 came across a humble man playing piano in the middle of the mall floor.
That man is Jeff Greene.
“One of my games that I play with myself is seeing somebody and trying to guess what kind of song they would like,” Greene said. “Sometimes I’ll play something, and they’ll go past me and turn around, and I know I got it. It’s fun.”
Green has been having fun on the keys since he was nine.
Decades later, he sees playing piano, and music in general, as a way to breathe new life into himself and everyone around him.
“You feel like you open up, and something starts flowing. You feel a lot of life. It makes me feel alive,” Greene said.
Shoppers certainly feel that flow as well.
Denise Howard makes it a point to listen to Greene anytime she stops by the mall.
“Every time I come in here, I usually put him on my phone just to be able to listen and show people that you can come to the mall and enjoy this music. Very talented gentleman,” Howard said. “It is very nice to come into a mall where it’s so hectic and be able to enjoy some music while you’re shopping.”
Beyond helping soothe shoppers, Greene shares a lifetime of a story intertwined with song.
It is a composition in its own right of the adventures this pianist has enjoyed over the years.
“I sang for the wife of the president of France and toured Europe when I was 15. I got to perform for the Boston Celtics, singing the national anthem. I’ve sung at Rupp Arena three times,” Greene said. “I have played and sung in eight different countries and played at a meeting where Bill Clinton was there and all the democratic governors. It was before he became president.”
After all that, this Harlan, Kentucky native spends his days inside Fayette, sharing all those experiences with the general public.
“People have mental barriers, but when you hit the music, and you play their favorite song, it’s just wide open and instantaneous,” Greene said. “You connect with people of all ages. It’s really amazing. Music is such a great gift.”
Jeff Green plays at Fayette Mall in Lexington Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., if you want to enjoy his music.
