This piano man has found his home
Plus: The news of the week — Transit bill introduced; Carowinds adding swim-up bar; Second Savannah Bananas game added; Atrium accused of 'double-dipping'
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Will Thames, a pianist who’s been blind since birth, brings his melodies to senior living communities across Charlotte
Among Will’s biggest fans is Mary John Boswell (right), who dances to the music at The Sharon. (Ken Garfield photo)
By Ken Garfield
With apologies to Billy Joel, it’s 5 o’clock on a Tuesday and the regular crowd shuffles in. The piano man in this story, though, isn’t playing for tips in a bar full of lonely patrons. He’s playing for the sheer joy of entertaining his audience during the cocktail hour at The Sharon at SouthPark.
At this senior living community and others in and around Charlotte, Will Thames finishes each set with “Happy Trails.” Roy Rogers and Dale Evans closed their long-ago TV show on a note of optimism, crooning “Who cares about the clouds when we’re together?” When Will plays “Happy Trails,” words aren’t necessary. His story and spirit are enough to part the clouds.
Will, 23, has been blind since birth.
“It’s not just Will’s piano-playing that our community appreciates,” says Jessica Bourque, director of vitality and well-being at The Sharon at SouthPark (formerly Sharon Towers). “It's the enthusiasm he shares with us. You tend to forget about his blindness.”
Says Will, exchanging hugs with friends in the lobby (they love being called Will’s groupies), “I’m always happy when I’m playing in front of people. I always get joy.”
Will lives with his parents, David and Katie Thames, in Matthews. He started taking piano lessons when he was 5. He graduated from Myers Park High School in 2020, attends Central Piedmont Community College and plans to transfer to Appalachian State University. New technology allows him to listen to school lessons on an app. He says one day he’d love to get into radio.
At Matthews United Methodist Church, he volunteers with the Rainbow ministry that serves people with disabilities. At his own church, Myers Park United Methodist, he made the cover of the congregation’s magazine in 2016. Will, 14 at the time, is pictured laughing it up with Stevie Wonder backstage after Wonder’s Charlotte concert.
Even then, Will had a dream.
“Stevie’s famous,” Will was quoted as saying. “I’ll be eventually famous someday.”
Fame is relative. While Will isn’t wowing thousands in arenas, since 2019 he’s made a name for himself on the senior living circuit. There’s The Sharon at SouthPark, where he plays Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-6:15 p.m. When asked about Will, everyone there says the same thing. “He’s wonderful.” That includes his grandmother, Margaret Thames, his No. 1 fan at The Sharon.
Other regular gigs take him to Windsor Run, Aldersgate and Southminster. He hopes to add more.
In the case of The Sharon, this is a marriage made not so much in heaven as at the community watering hole, The Wolfe Lounge. What senior doesn’t want to cap another day in paradise by sipping wine among friends and listening to Will play the songs that form the soundtrack of yesteryear?
His set list includes “Over the Rainbow,” “Strangers in the Night” and Petula Clark’s pop hit, “Downtown.” When Will plays “Que Sera, Sera,” the lyrics are often sung aloud (and embraced) by those of a certain age.
Que sera, sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera, sera
What will be, will be
Will does just fine playing at other venues. Proof of his versatility, he’s due to play the organ at the Charlotte Knights minor league baseball game uptown on March 29.
But he’s found his musical home among 70- and 80-somethings. They are drawn to his infectious spirit. He is drawn to their sing-alongs and, in the case of Mary John Boswell earlier this month at The Sharon, dance-alongs.
While his set list varies depending on the vibe in the room, Will makes a point of playing the Louis Armstrong classic, “What a Wonderful World.”
“You have to remind yourself of that with everything that’s going on in the world,” he says.
For the hour or so Will is at the piano, his blindness and their wheelchairs and walkers be darned, life beyond the senior living doors can wait.
Here, it is a wonderful world.
Freelance writer/editor Ken Garfield is a frequent contributor to The Ledger, including the Ways of Life obituaries newsletter that runs each Tuesday. Reach him at garfieldken3129@gmail.com.
This week in Charlotte: Transit bill introduced; Discovery Place headed to Matthews; Drama at Opera Carolina; American Airlines to board earlier
On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.
Education
Duke to cost more than $90K a year: (Duke Chronicle) Duke University’s board of trustees voted to raise the cost of attending by 6%, to more than $90,000. The cost of tuition, fees, room and board will total $92,042.
Superintendent apologizes for ‘communications lapse’: (WSOC) Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools superintendent Crystal Hill apologized Monday for not informing parents about threats made to five schools last week. A 31-year-old was charged with making threats earlier in the week, but CMS did not inform parents at those schools, which Hill described as a “communications lapse.”
Politics
Transit bill introduced: (Ledger/Transit Time) Three influential legislators introduced a bill that would allow Mecklenburg residents to vote on raising the sales tax to pay for transit and roads, and legislative leaders told local business and political leaders that they think the bill has a chance of passing. We broke down the developments in this week’s Transit Time newsletter.
Immigration crackdown bill: (WRAL) The N.C. Senate is advancing a bill called the North Carolina Border Protection Act, which would require state agencies to check immigration status, deny services to undocumented immigrants, and cooperate with ICE. The bill is expected to face further debate in the full Senate next week.
Local news
Carowinds is building an adults-only swim-up bar: (Ledger 🔒) Carowinds is adding a 21+ adults-only lounge and pool with a swim-up bar and games to its water park this summer, sparking excitement and skepticism among fans.
New Discovery Place Kids museum in Matthews: (Ledger) Matthews commissioners approved a plan to partner with Discovery Place to build a new children’s museum, expected to open around 2029, with the town funding construction and Discovery Place handling operations.
American to start boarding earlier: (View from the Wing) Starting May 1, American Airlines passengers will start boarding planes 5 minutes earlier than they do currently, according to a memo sent to airline employees on Thursday, to make the boarding process less hectic.
Business
BofA scales back diversity goals: (Biz Journal, subscriber-only) Bank of America is scaling back its workplace diversity goals, removing diversity-related language from its filings and shifting its focus to fostering an “inclusive environment.” This change aligns with other major banks that are adjusting their diversity policies in response to legal and political shifts.
Driven Brands sells car wash unit, switches CEOs: (Business Wire) Charlotte-based Driven Brands said it is selling its U.S. car wash business to Whistle Express Car Wash for $385M. It also said CEO Jonathan Fitzpatrick is stepping down, to be replaced by chief operating officer Daniel Rivera.
New company HQ for Charlotte: (Biz Journal, subscriber-only) Logistics company Odyssey Logistics has moved its headquarters to Charlotte from Connecticut. Its headquarters location at Whitehall Corporate Center in the Steele Creek area will have 80 employees.
Sports
Charlotte FC opens home slate with rival: (Fútbol Friday) Charlotte FC will host rival Atlanta United in their home opener today, with star winger Wilfried Zaha set to make his debut and both teams featuring high-profile offseason signings.
More baseball: The Savannah Bananas have added a second baseball game at Bank of America Stadium because of high demand. The shows will be June 6 and 7. (Observer)
From the Ledger family of newsletters
Monday
Critics accuse Atrium of ‘double-dipping’ on tax refunds: Atrium Health received a $45M sales tax refund from North Carolina in 2023 and 2024, hitting the state cap for nonprofits — but a separate filing by its Wake Forest Baptist entity likely pushed its total refund even higher. County officials say the lost tax revenue could have funded local services.
Plus: Ledger Election Hub selected for nonprofit pitch competition; New playground at a big Mecklenburg County park; Cheap getaways from CLT; Lawsuit says N.C. college admitted a sex offender
Wednesday (🔒)
Drama at the opera: Opera Carolina is facing leadership upheaval and legal battles as longtime artistic and production directors exit amid lawsuits and counterclaims.
Plus: Legislative leaders assess transit plan; Matthews approves new children's museum; Toppman reviews Neil Diamond musical
Friday (🔒)
Charlotte’s $2 million arts dilemma: Charlotte’s grassroots arts organizations are struggling to plan and grow as $2M in city funding remains stalled due to shifting distribution plans, leaving many leaders of small arts groups frustrated and uncertain about the future.
Plus: Checking on the state of the economy; Toppman reviews ‘Alabaster’ by a revived theater company; readers’ reaction to Carowinds’ adults-only pool plan; local girl appears on ‘Abbott Elementary’
Ways of Life (🔒)
Babs Highfill, a passionate and skilled community leader, floral artist and culinary expert, dedicated her life to elevating everything she touched, from church flower arrangements to forestry, before she died of Parkinson’s disease at 77.
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