For years, Hyattsville resident Kenny Sway has serenaded street corners in Washington, D.C. But his performance outside the White House Wednesday drew a national audience.
As thousands gathered on 16th and I streets near Lafayette Square to protest police violence, the Hyattsville singer turned on a small speaker and sang the Bill Withers classic “Lean on Me.”
After two days of tense encounters with law enforcement, the performance hit a nerve. Protesters joined in, holding up cell phones like lighters as the sun set, and videos of the moment spread on social media.
He also sang Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” and Sam Cooke’s civil rights anthem “A Change Is Gonna Come.”
Sway, who has a new single with Veronica King called “The Way,” has gone viral before, when he sang “I Will Always Love You” to his infant daughter in Chinatown and when his performance of “The Tracks of My Tears” inspired a bedridden cancer patient to dance.
But “Lean on Me” went to a whole new level, drawing more than 7 million views online and receiving coverage from local and national TV news including in the Washington Post, Washingtonian and Entertainment Tonight.
He decided to attend the protest after seeing the tension and violence of the preceding days on TV and realizing that there was no music. There may be something to that, as unlike some other nights, the protest the day he sang ended peacefully.
Like many other musicians, Sway has seen his concerts and other gigs canceled since the coronavirus pandemic began. Following his performance Wednesday, a GoFundMe was set up to help support his family. You can also buy his music on iTunes and Google Play.
You can watch Sway’s performance of “Lean on Me” here . He’ll be in D.C. tomorrow for the protests where he plans on singing again to the crowd.
Be sure to check out his Instagram page where he has been regularly going live.
Watch Sway sing “A Change is Gonna Come” in front of Hyattsville’s rainbow wall on Friday.
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