After an Ohio man started belting out “The Star-Spangled Banner” while shopping at a Missouri Walmart earlier this month, his fellow customers — and the internet at large — took notice.
James Fruits, 40, has gone viral since his impromptu decision to send patriotic themes reverberating throughout the retail store.
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It all unfolded on July 8 when Fruits, who is from Ohio and was in Osage Beach, Missouri, visiting with his family, picked up the intercom and started belting out the national anthem, ABC News reported.
Video of his performance has since gone viral after Walmart posted it on the company’s Facebook page along with the following message: “When we heard the National Anthem wafting through the flag display aisle we just had to ask our customer to share that gift with the whole store using the intercom.”
Watch the video below:
People have responded with elation over the clip, with Fruits, who is a creative arts administrator at a church, telling ABC News that he is blown away, humbled and honored that the performance has sparked encouraging responses and remarks.
“I am happy to brighten people’s day and I definitely feel like that’s my life’s mission — to make a difference wherever I am,” he said. “So, if that’s bringing a smile to people’s faces while I’m on vacation with a video of me singing the national anthem, then so be it.”
Fruits walked away with some compensation, too: a Walmart superhero cape as well as a $10 gift card.