I was laid off from my job just after my 65th birthday. Now that I have Medicare and can get social security, I'm teaching violin and auditioning for a part time paying orchestra. I didn't have enough time to practice when I was working. The best part - being around musicians!
Thanks to Frank, the owner at the Playwright Pub, who had the foresight and good heart to give Kurt a chance - which in turn, continues to bless so many lives. Kudos to you Frank!
That text was almost certainly a set up to get rid of expensive, long-time crew. Firing a 9-time Emmy winner (for NBC, no less) over someone else's text? Amazing they got away with it but Comcast is a powerful media and telecommunications corporation. The Corporation always wins.
This video is a great and well deserved promo for Kurt. Being a decent hard working man, he deserves all the best. Kurt, you represent the best of New York so very well.
I remember Kurt from NBC. Pretty crappy how people get fired for receiving a text message they didn't want. Congratulations Kurt on your new career. I think you will go far in your singing career. I lost my job at 55, my position was eliminated. Getting a job you want when you are older is not easy. I took early retirement and I'm happy I did. I can stay up late, sleep late and I don't have to be anywhere at a certain time. I spend time with my hubby who is retired and have my pets who I can see all day long. I can visit my son whenever I want too also
My husband had been gone 6 yrs. Spontaneously, one day, I called my old high school sweetheart that I hadnt seen in 55yrs. Turns out his wife had passed 3yrs ago. We live in different states but it's an easy flight from Nashville to Denver. We now enjoy getting together several times a year. I never expected a phone call to turn into a lifetime again of love and romance!!!
We need far more musicians out playing on the streetcorners. What's not uplifting and draws people together better than this creativity in action.? Thank you❤
I lost my very well-paying job during covid. I was unemployed for approximately 6 months and eventually found my current job. It truly has been a blessing in disguise. I absolutely love my job and my coworkers are amazing.. I'm a firm believer that when one door closes another one opens. It's sometimes very hard to see that when you're in the moment, but things always seem to work out for the best
I had been working as a machinist since 1994 when I was injured at work in 2010. I eventually found work delivering pizza 🍕, not what I had in mind as I was getting older. I went back to community college with the idea of becoming a teacher. It wasn't easy. I had multiple setbacks. But finally I found success. I am now a teacher. Recently, I began learning how to play guitar, learning strumming patterns to play chords . In the past 4 months, I began writing music, simple songs with simple chords, but with deep meaning. I'm overwhelmed by God's goodness 🙏 to me ❤
@spauldaddio Great testimony! It's not easy, but letting God lead brings an abundance we can never know if we go our own way. Keep following! Psalm 119:105 ESV "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
I got sick with pneumonia n nearly died n got up 6 days later to find myself in ICU looking out thru a breathing mask. After 2 weeks I also lost my voice but I’ve always thought it was the sickness n didn’t know what was done to me when I was out. Just about a year ago I volunteered in the church choir to play guitar n found some of my voice back joining the choir. God works in mysterious ways 🙏🙏🙏❤️☮️
I worked a job for 12 years in product development and drove an hour and a half each way to get there. I thought it was the best job I could do because the hourly rate was the highest I had been paid. I was with a man at the time and thought that that was my life... When I turned 39 he left me for his 23-year-old assistant. It was devastating but I met someone and within two years we had a child I got a full-time tenure track job I'm now living my best life at 52. I never could have imagined now who I have become now but I know it has everything to do with some difficult and devastating moments. I am grateful for what I have . Love this guy in his story thanks for sharing.
I'll bet money the fling with the 23 year old didn't last long and now he's with nobody. It's the classic Dog and the Bone story. You dodged a bullet. 23 year olds and 40 year olds are NOT in the same place in life and the magic is fleeting. Good for You!
I worked in a Nursing Home for 9 years. Then my boss felt threatened by me, so it was bought out by a corporation so I got fired from my job. I cried my eyes out because of it, not understanding why it happened. But i know why now because it was to make room for me to heal and move past that hurt for the next chapter of my life. I now clean houses for some Amazing people that I feel need my help in their lives, and to be able to start my own Business.. God is Good
My most prolific moment in my life was when my Brother committed suicide. I was the last to speak to him and I was the one that found him. I was changed forever. I have used this moment to share with others any chance I get how this moment impacted me and that if my brother would have known what this would do to my family and I, I know he would have gotten the help he needed before he acted on his emotions. I share the story to encourage others to get help because no matter who finds them they instantly become a victim of suicide as well. It's a trauma I hope can be avoided by talking about it. Thank you Reggie for what you do to encourage positivity in our world 💞
I'm so very sad that you experienced that horrific situation! Im positive you're right that your brother would have made a different decision had he known. I've seen a lot of this in my life and it is definitely a life changing experience. I applaud your efforts to use this to help others! Very brave. Blessings to you. 🌺💙
I met Kurt while I lived in NYC back when he still worked for NBC. I couldn't believe what happened to him. Kurt is truly a great guy and I couldn't be happier for him and the way he has bounced back from such a terrible situation. Cheers Kurt! Will definitely stop by to see you the next time I'm in NYC! - Ben
@@personincognito3989 I think by deleting the message he showed everyone else in the group that he had standards that were not aligned with their lack of standards. So instead of raising their standards they decided to oust him for just in case the day came that they went too far to come back from because it’s hard to buy silence from a man with morals.
Can you imagine, not only losing his job but a good retirement and medical benefits after 25 years. He could have probably retired at 30 years. I wouldn't put it past NBC paying off the person who sent the text to do it so that they could fire everyone in that group. He's got a very positive attitude but now I'm angry. It's hard to believe that NBC got away with this. I wonder if he actually got some sort of settlement after arbitration. NBC firing a 9-time Emmy winner for their own network. Brutal. Oh well, who watches NBC anymore anyway?
Yeah, it's pretty obvious that they just wanted to get rid of people who had been there a long time and were making good money, so that they could hire younger, cheaper employees. I've heard some bullshit excuses to fire somebody, but that one's right at the top of the list!
That was my exact thought... It sounded like a setup to get rid of a more expensive and older employee and hire cheaper employees who probably didn't have the same benefits either. Dirty way to ditch longtime employees who cost the company more money. I'm glad it turned out great, but HR needs to be investigated. All the best Kurt! Love the music! And Reggie, thanks for sharing this video with us!
@@aspensulphate anything could be possible, it just gave me the feeling of a setup. A lot of companies were getting rid of older employees who cost them more. Can’t be sure though. Have a lovely day!
My second wife was a professional singer doing theater and cabaret style gigs most of her life. She died of lung cancer in 1998 and I subsequently married one of her best friends. I remember her singing "New York, New York" in the hotel where she sang for awhile. She was awesome! Though I lost her to an insidious disease, I found happiness again with her best friend. I will love you always, Melissa Ferrell, and hope to see you again in the next life.
Yeah, I haven't seen this level before, usually it's just a chat by the mic. I enjoyed this, Kurt's been very badly treated, but he is a winner in life because of how and who he is.
Thanks Reggie! That was so fun! You've had many wonderful interactions with people, but this was a gem! And the way it unfolded with Kurt was terrific. All the best to you and Kurt! Hope both of you just go from strength to strength.
Great survivor story. A singer in the 17-piece swing band I play in sings a bunch of Sinatra hits that formed an act this singer did for years in LA and LV. People really relate to those songs, knowing where they were and what they did when they heard them. I'm happy to see Kurt used those songs-and his performance-as a way to move forward. Thanks for a great morning start (West Coast here)!
I was 42. My dad made the most hurtfull comment yet towards me. "You poor, pathetic excuse for a human being". First time I stood up to him. First night i didn't do hard drugs in nearly 30 years. First time i could breathe. Free. First time I was proud of me. I'm not far passed that moment, even though nearly a decade has elapsed. I'm still pretty fucking proud though.
I developed epilepsy a year ago and just got hit by a car while riding my bike, breaking my ankle. It's been a rough year. Thank you for the encouraging story. Love your videos!
How old are you? (I ask only because I’ve read about young people who get epilepsy that later goes away.). What did your neurologist tell you about the epilepsy?
I was fired from a terrible job full of toxic people in 2020. I'm head nurse at much better pay for a different company now. If I hadn't been fired, I would still be miserable and struggling to pay my bills. Now, I'm debt free with a hefty retirement account and saving. It was tough at the time but GOD got me out of that terrible work environment. If anyone wonders why I got fired, I wouldn't gossip with people so they gossiped about me. Management believed a group of liars who are all still stuck in that awful place. God is good!
Good for you! Moving on sometimes is the only thing you can do. I worked for the Visa department of a major bank and the group of women in their twenties (a couple in their late twenties) made it feel like I was back in high school. I moved jobs (still in that dept) just to get away from them. They were awful and from what I could see over a ten year period not one of them bettered themselves still staying in that one little section, being mean to anyone new who came on board.
@@ginasmitasin479 Exact same situation. Women the same age as my grown children. I was 54 at the time. They were in their early 30's. It's a small community and the manager and I went to highschool with their mothers. It became a group bullying situation.
@@teresahunt5521 I imagine all of them ( yours and mine) are still living the same way only doing it to family, neighbors and anyone they run into on the street…since we are old enough to be retired. Living well is the best revenge. 😊
@teresahunt5521 I had a similar situation at a Family Practice about 20 years ago. They were mostly young girls in their 20's, lazy, gossiping, and swearing most of the time. I was in my late 40's and fresh out of nursing school. They had someone training me for the first couple of weeks, so they had me on the front end in the mornings to learn the flow of the office, then seeing patients with the Dr in the afternoons. When we didn't have a patient, or at the end of the day, we'd restock the exam rooms, including vacutainers for blood draws. As you probably know, some of them have expiration dates on them, so one day, I organized them in layers separated by brown paper towels to make sure we use the ones that expire first. I also threw out many tubes that were already expired that they had been using! When I returned the following day, I discovered that someone removed the paper towels, causing them all to be a mixed up mess again, so I proceeded to organize them again. When I returned the next day, someone undid my work again! I would constantly hear the front end ladies complaining about one thing or another, when one day, I finally spoke up when they kept complaining about Mr. So & so coming in again after he was just recently there. I very nicely said, "What difference does it make if he's here again? We have to see so many patients in a day anyway, so it shouldn't matter who they are." They didn't like that, and had expected me to be like them, but I wasn't. I always came in smiling and with a good attitude, ready to work. In the afternoons, when we didn't have a patient, they would all gather around the back computer area and gossip and complain, so I politely asked if there was anything that needed to be done, but they said no. I didn't feel it was right for me to be getting paid for just sitting around, especially because I was new, so I decided to restock and wipe down exam rooms. Apparently, they didn't like that either, because after I had been there about 4 weeks, I got called into the Office Manager's office and was fired. I kinda laughed and said, "What? Really? May I ask why?" She said I was "defiant." I just chuckled in disbelief and decided to just let it go. It wasn't a good work environment, and I'd never recommend them, because they used expired vacutainers, which can alter the outcome of a blood test, and they only wiped down the exam rooms at the end of the week instead of after each patient, plus a few other things. Looking back, I should have called OSHA and reported them! It's too bad, because I loved the patients and they loved me, so they're the ones that usually suffer.
That's laughable! No one should want to sound like Sinatra. He couldn't sing to save his life. His music was sponsored by folks who needed him to legitimize their business. The orchestra was always the saving grace for Sinatra's shows.
@@GlendaClarke-ir2cdYou're more delusional than the left with this comment😅 Sinatra was an amazing singer and a very respected man who lived life to the fullest. Without sinatra the 40's and 50's wouldnt have been such great eras.
@@stephenroadnight5025 Where does politics come into this? Sinatra was not a good singer. He switched his pitch randomly and unexpectedly, and also sung off beat regularly. He droned!
now that's a funny comment, let's believe this random comment about a singer instead of the great quantity of people in the world who differs with this comment, comedy gold I'll tell you 🤡🤡🤡
People don't realize, the bottom line is, HR represents the COMPANY & not the people😐 They give that spill you can rely on them for assistance but will always take the side of mgmt as much as possible😕 My mantra is "Document, Document, Document" & keep track of policy (they have to publish/notify of changes) etc. etc..😐 I keep a file just like they do😉
@@gamblinhurn1 It really helps to know the law and that if they don't have a policy in written form they are required to follow US Gov. guidelines. They certainly weren't happy to find out that they'd been illegally docking me for an hour lunch when I'd only been allowed half an hour. I liked the pay back check though.
I was let go from my brother's business at the start of my career because there wasn't enough work for me. After being unemployed for about a month, I found an occupational training opportunity and I've been in that career now for almost 20 years. I think it was a good thing that my brother fired me. We're still tightly together and how it all turned out, I have zero hard feelings about it.
So glad you took the time to hear his whole story...on so many levels. A door might have closed for him, but that was because a better door was supposed to open.💖
I've had some really tough struggles. Bipolar manifested after being a nurse for 20 years or so. My moods not longer controlled. I'm stable now but after not being able to work, I smoked so much I now have COPD. Through therapy and a lot of prayer I've discovered RU-vid. I did a lot of things including trying my hand at some painting. Mostly it was all for fun. My painting started developing and now people are asking for me to paint something. I just had a request for dinosaurs. I have never ever drawn or painted a dinosaur. I looked some images, chose one and made a kind of cartoony painting. For some reason, they liked it. That's the latest one. I love doing birds and florals. I'm in my late 60s. What some call the gray squad. I can't believe the range of followers. By the way, my husband is a big hit on there since he retired. We have reached 10,000 subscribers. Thanks be to God for giving me other directions to go with my life.
Definitely. I wonder if Comcast told NBC to fire senior crew to save money and NBC came up with the text idea (and payed someone off to do it). It's a totally flimsy excuse to get rid of people (receiving a group text) but it happened at a time when was a very popular thing to do in the corporate entertainment world. I hope he got some sort of payout after arbitration. He lost more than a salary - he lost very good benefits, including medical and retirement. Among all the horrible corporate news outlets, NBC and MSNBC are the absolute worst.
Kurt seems to be a very positive guy. Best wishes for him!! By the way, I appriciate your work so much! New York is an huge city with millions of people and every human being there has its own story. This channel is not only about music but also about telling those stories. Love it !
I don't know if it's because of the moment I'm living in, in the middle of a separation and unemployed, but anything makes me emotional, especially when it comes to music, and Kurt definitely moved me. His life is a book. I think one of the most difficult moments for me is right now. I'm 51 years old, but I want to believe that positive change is coming. Maybe these changes are even inspired by content like yours, Reggie. Thanks bro. Thanks Kurt.
What a beautiful man Kurt is. As another had said he didn't get bitter, he got better. You're a blessing🙏🧡. And a man that loves his Mumma is a true man indeed 🥰
I lost my job in the hospital because of disability with hip and knee problem but god was theirs for me like they said when one door close another open trust god and live
I was told during a troubling time with my son that I was so resourceful and worrying was a waste of time finding solutions was what I was good at. I stopped worrying realizing I had been through worse and whatever we were facing we would make make it through. Then on 03-13-23 I lost my only child Garrett in a car accident and I could no longer say I had been through worse. I found your RU-vid channel after he passed and the people who just put everything out there has been my saving grace. I hope one day to meet you and sing with you. I always wanted to sing but was told I wasn't good enough. I'm probably not good but I don't care I just want to be happy again and singing makes me happy. Keep doing your thing I hope you know how much you truly help people you have never met.
@@Veganarchy-Zetetic He told them that he did. Maybe it was a work phone. We are prb not being told the whole story. But the guy prb is a good guy and didnt deserve to get fired. Maybe he went on a website he shouldn't have went on. Or maybe he did nothing wrong at all!!
@@cf4880 I just thought maybe he was set up by his employers so that they had a reason to fire him. I just find the whole thing really strange so I jumped straight into conspiracy mode. Seems like it worked out well for him anyway.
I just thought maybe he was set up by his employers so that they had a reason to fire him. I just find the whole thing really strange so I jumped straight into conspiracy mode. Seems like it worked out well for him anyway.
@@Veganarchy-Zetetic Ya, we don't know. But if he is walking around a free person? then they prb were just looking for a reason. None of the stars he worked with went to bat for him. Kind of sad.
After 2 real close attempts to kill me as a police sergeant with a gun, one was so close that I had gun powder burns on my face. Both were less than 11 months apart. And my attitude changed dramatically. I knew I was being judged and about to be forced out of the job. I ended up taking a medical retirement after 13 years of service. But GOD stepped in and took control. I found a new path and now I’m bringing home twice the income I got being a full time police sergeant. And now my family is doing great and I have a sense of peace and happiness that I haven’t had in a long time.
❤ This man is phenomenal so very talented in all walks of life Thank you for sharing your life story with us lots of love from Connecticut and Thank you Reggie for doing what you do ❤🎤🎶💃🕺🔥👏❤
He definitely doesn't deserve what he had to go through but he sounded so good. We'll keep him. Thanks for sharing his story. Keep up the awesome work. Sending big hugs Sherry
Good morning! Many years it has been since I heard these songs. I do like the back story on this too. I have had some strange twists and turns in my careers as well. It seems like everything happens for a reason. Life can definitely be unfair. I am currently feeling it. I just trust that it will all work out the way it is meant to be in the end. Thanks Reggie. You are definitely an inspiration. Kurt, you are an inspiration too. I needed you both at this time in my life. 😊Great video!
I woke up in nursing home in 05 being fed through a tube and peeing in a bag. my family was told I would be under nursing care for the rest of my life. Who would have thought that being without pulse for 16 minuets would pave the way to the best years of my life?
Loved this video, well done Reggie and singer brilliant. Really enjoyed this. What a lovely character. I am 75 and still working because I love it, I meet lovely people every day showing them around residential properties to let. I was thinking of retiring at 74 until I spoke to a lovely guy aged 84 and he said to me, if I could get a job tomorrow I would do, those few words, made my mind up for me, to keep doing, what I love doing, meeting lovely people every day. Also a very busy granddad, involved daily in my 3 grandchildren’s lives. From across the pond.
This program was so inspiring after the day I had.....it cheered🤣😆 me up And teared 😢 me up. And I really needed it 💛... A few days ago I found out that my close friend of (46yrs) recently lost her job. It's been weighing on my mind because it stinks. She was a nurse at the same hospital for over 25 years. She was fired over a 4 hours of work on the day she had to euthanize her 16 yr old dog. I saw it happen to some great people in the company I worked for.(CVS). It's not a shock These companies are not above this God bless you and when you sang New York it was absolutely perfect 💙
I have always been an optimistic person. But the last 4 years have been the worst. I was wrongly evicted from my apartment & lost my companion animal, my husband & I lived on the streets of my city. I came to Florida to visit & ended up living on the streets here. I had 3 surgeries by doctors addicted to alcohol and negligence. Now I'm in the hospital in Sarasota. I've been here since July 29th it's August 23rd with 2 more weeks or so to go. This singer gave me a boost back to where I needed to be, my husband and I have to thank both me for this. I am 79 years old now turning 80 your singing makes me feel better. You do a great Frank Sinatra voice. I remember him & his voice. Bring the pitch down 1/2 an octive, I think it's called, I would swear he was in the room. Again Thank you both
I love this newer vibe of you sharing some of the singers' personal lives, like Kurt and the young lady that sang Valorie etc. it's nice to see some of the inner parts of their lives and deeply personal. I love it Reggie!
My mother died, two weeks later I had to close my business because I was going into debt which meant giving away my herd of grazing goats and my two livestock guardian dogs. So many tears! But then my son and daughter-in-law asked me to come help with my granddaughter around the time the new baby was born.💕💕💕💕😊 I couldn't have done that without losing my mom and my business. All good ❤ So glad you made this new type of video! Good for you!
What a great person and q real pro. He didnt over sing it, just perfect. However, WTF Jimmy, Noah why didnt you big money host guys stick up for your #1 camera guy!!
You are the GOAT of street music performer. Very interesting story and viewers should learn what LIFE is all about. Thank you for sharing and spread the LOVE and PEACE.
That was such a New York Moment!!! Kurt belongs in front of the camera! Kurt time with your mom is precious. Enjoy it. Thanks Reggie. Love from Ireland.
