Ex-homeless musician repays Worthing woman’s act of kindness with a song

The singer was homeless and sleeping rough on a bench in Worthing, opposite the Egremont pub, when resident Sophie Moore spotted him from her window one morning as she was preparing lunch for her children.

Sophie recalls it was a ‘freezing cold day’ and she said: “It just made a realise how lucky I was to be able to make my coffee and be nice and warm.”

So she made an extra cup of coffee, grabbed a piece of fruit and some change, and gave them to Chris as she and her children, Dominic and Caitlin, left for the school run.

Chris woke up and told her how grateful he was – and when Sophie returned from work that day, she found a note on her doorstep, along with a ‘lovely little’ heart-shaped pendant.

The note read: “To the lady and the little girl. What you did for me was the greatest act of kindness. Thank you so much. God bless. Here is a small gift.

“There is not many like you left in this world...

“I owe you one day I shall pay you an act of kindness as soon as I get my life back on track.”

Sophie, 30, said: “It was just so sweet and so heartfelt. Just that very normal thing, it just made his whole day.

“He was so touched by it. It just goes to show how much hate people get sometimes, looked down on and not thought of.”

Remembering that day, Chris said he was ‘touched’ by Sophie’s act of kindness.

“It was a really low moment, a really bad moment in my life,” he said.

He said he had been hanging on to the pendant, which belonged to his late mother, for years, looking for someone to give it to. Leaving it for Sophie felt like ‘the right thing to do’, he said.

“For me it symbolises kindness, and an act of kindness for me was needed at that time,” he said.

Sophie and Chris’ paths would cross again, thanks to the Turning Tides charity in Worthing.

Sophie got a job at the charity as a community fundraiser, a role she loves and feels was ‘made for’ her, and found out that Chris was being supported by the charity.

When she met David O’Connell, the co-founder of a record label for homeless musicians called Host Recordings, she recommended that Chris got involved.

Since then, Chris, who now lives in Littlehampton, has been recording music at the St Clare’s day centre in Marine Parade, Worthing, and has written several songs – read about his first track here.

“Mentally and emotionally, music does help me out big time,” Chris said.

He decided to dedicate his latest song to Sophie, in gratitude of her kind act that day.

And he has chosen to use a photo of the heart pendant he left on her doorstep as the cover art for the single.

The song is called Hidden Love and Chris said: “The new song is about how people don’t share enough love around, or they hide it.

“A lot of people out there are too busy with life.”

Sophie said it was ‘really lovely’ to know the song was dedicated to her.

Mr O’Connell, the founder of Host Recordings, said: “Being part of Chris’ journey as a songwriter is a hugely inspiring mission to be part of – particularly when a story like this happens.

“He and Sophie come from different places but both demonstrate the same qualities of generosity and thoughtfulness that we need in this world.”

You can buy Chris’ new track at chrislawson.bandcamp.com/track/hidden-love

SEE MORE: Worthing musician releases song about his experience of homelessness

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