Mike Yung doing what he does every day: singing in the New York subway.
It's likely you've heard Mike Yung before in the subway, even if you don't know his name.
The 58-year-old with the huge voice -- a voice so powerful he was scouted for America's Got Talent (and made it to the semi-finals) -- has been busking in the New York City subway for 38 years. He's been stabbed nine times and jumped many more, and he averages less than $50 per day in donations.
But now he's asking the public for a little more than quarters: $75,000 to be exact, through Kickstarter, to finally release his debut album. And since launching the fundraiser on March 2, Yung is already feeling the love from his fellow New Yorkers and fans with more than $36,000 raised. His followers have also come out in force on social media, with the popular Instagram account Subway Creatures taking on his cause, racking up hundreds of thousands of views of his subway performances.
Life has had its challenges for Yung, his Kickstarter says, with opportunity being ripped away at many turns.
"I was signed to RCA at 14, then T.Electric with the likes of Etta James and Luther Vandross. The label went bankrupt and I never got my debut album out," Yung said. "I've spent the past 38 years in the subway busking and making a living while supporting a family in the projects of Brownsville."
Last August Yung was scouted for "America's Got Talent," where he made it to the semi-finals. Videos of Mike get hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions of views on social media. But his manager Danny says exposure has not led to a paycheck.
"While the agents book the shows and the business managers oversee the finances, there is nothing they can do without an album. Mike has an incredible voice, but he hasn't been given a shot yet," he said.
Danny said, with h people carrying less and less cash these days, Yung makes an average of $40 per day. He usually sings for 3-4 hours or until his voice goes out. "Lately he's been getting more hugs than tips."
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Danny said his managers were now on their final attempt to get the album out. "To be brutally honest... everything is riding on this kickstarter," he said.
The money raised would go to funding Yung's debut album, "Never Give Up," and a documentary on the singer.
Richard Richards, operator: Honestly, as an operator, I have to tell them something. In an attempt to keep the customers calm you tell them we have traffic ahead, we have delays ahead, but in honesty we don't always know 'cause they are not telling us and radio communications can be choppy.
nJoe Costales, conductor: The system is antiquated, the relay for the radio systems are not kept up, they are not repaired, they are not constantly checked so there are black-out areas.
nCrystal Young, conductor: We may talk to them over the radio and they can hear us but we can't hear what they are saying. Sometimes when we are on a train it's not that we don't want to let the customers know what's going on, we don't have the communications to let them know what's going on.
Costales: All the time.
nRichards: They had hot-plates they had TVs, they literally lived back there.
nCostales: You see them coming out. A lot of times people who get hit by trains, are the ones living in the subway.
nBrandon Patterson, conductor: Sometimes when we go to set up tracks we go down there and they get mad because they think we are invading their home space.
Richards: I've seen people actually having sex on the train.
nCostales: Masturbating, having sex.
nRichards: And they've got a bed set up, they tap into the third rail and they are watching TV.
nYoung: One time someone brought a goat on the train. They bought it at a live mart.
Tramell Thompson, conductor: The E train has been dubbed 'The Homeless Express', it's one of those lines that doesn't go outside. So from terminal to terminal it's underground. It's pretty warm. You have new, nicer trains over there, it's clean over there. And you know the homeless, you go on there at midnight, you'll see five or six homeless people in each car. But the homeless isn't really the issue with us, it's mainly the drunks.
Richards: In the middle of the car. You don't want to sit in the corners [because that's where people throw up and urinate]. Also by the doors, you'll be on your phone and as soon as the doors get ready to close, they snatch it and they're off.
Conductors: A safe place to ride on a subway train would be in the middle of the train in the conductor's car or in the very first car where the train operator's going to be. That way at least you're closest to a crew member to help if they have to.
Conductors: Absolutely.
nYoung: At the end of the line they have a sign that shows on-time job performance, where they literally track to see how many people were injured while in performance of their duty so that's what they are concerned about. It's easier for a passenger to make a complaint versus us making a complaint because they just want to keep that train moving.
nPatterson: The MTA's logo is 'Every second counts,' so every second counts to them.
nYoung: Some superintendents, if someone has to take a comfort they want you to write a [note]. So you have to, as an adult, write down on a piece of paper that you had to use the bathroom. God forbid if you use the bathroom too often, then they will try to write you up.
Tramell Thompson, train conductor: Anything, EDPs (emotionally disturbed person), anything. Could be a disturbance on the train, fights.n
Eric Loegel, train operator: Unattended package, suspicious package..."customer injury" as they say. A customer injury is generally someone who has been struck by a train. And we internally refer to that as a 12-9.
Patterson: No, I try not to. I tell [my kids] not to touch anything, I carry hand sanitizer.
nRichards: I don't touch the poles or I sit in the middle...I'm a big guy, I brace myself.
nCostales: We transport millions of people, it's hard to keep it that clean.
Patterson: Standing behind the yellow line, the [public] leans over looking for the train, they could slip, and that's what causes 12-9s and delays
nRichards: I've seen people fall on the tracks 'cause they hear the announcement and they think the train is on their track and they start straight walking because they are online...we get conditioned, oh the train is here, they start walking and they fall.
