This piano man has found his musical home
Pianist Will Thames, 23, lights up Charlotte’s senior communities with melodies and enthusiasm
The following article appeared in the March 1, 2025 edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with smart and original local news for Charlotte. We offer free and paid subscription plans. More info here.
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.
Need to sign up for this e-newsletter? We offer a free version, as well as paid memberships for full access to all 4 of our local newsletters:
The Charlotte Ledger is a locally owned media company that delivers smart and essential news. We strive for fairness and accuracy and will correct all known errors. The content reflects the independent editorial judgment of The Charlotte Ledger. Any advertising, paid marketing or sponsored content will be clearly labeled.
◼️ About The Ledger • Our Team • Website
◼️ Newsletters • Podcast • Newcomer Guide • A Better You email series
◼️ Subscribe • Sponsor • Events Board • Merch Store • Manage Your Account
◼️ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, LinkedIn