Tonee “Valentine” Carter, a 66-year-old pianist at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, was recently given the biggest tip of his life after a passenger waiting for his flight called on his Instagram followers to support the musician.
On July 21, Carlos Whittaker, a motivational speaker and author of Enter Wild, was heading home to Nashville, Tennessee, when he happened upon Carter, who plays at a piano bar in Concourse A every week from Monday to Thursday. Whittaker said he noticed Carter giving his all in his performance, even though there weren’t many people paying attention to him.
Whittaker said Carter’s music moved him, so he decided to get to know him better. The pair spoke between songs, sharing their personal stories with each other. Then Whittaker came up with an idea: he wanted to give Carter the biggest tip he ever received.
With over 200,000 followers on his Instagram, Whittaker called on his “InstaFamilia” to help raise money. He said he initially expected to raise around $2,500 — he and his followers had previously raised money for various causes in the past.
They raised $10,000 within 30 minutes, he said. In total, Whittaker received $61,000 in donations for Carter.
In the video, Carter appears to be in utter disbelief as Whittaker tells him about the money, and then starts to cry.
Carter’s plans for the money go beyond himself. Other than getting an oil change for his car, he said he intends to donate to the American Kidney Foundation — as he undergoes dialysis every evening for nine hours — and hopes to help others.