Sam Tompkins

---

Sam Tompkins was in his " local boozer" in Brighton, a few pink gins down, when he got a FaceTime from his " hero" Justin Bieber .

" My mates just couldn't believe it, " the singer-songwriter says.

" It was the weirdest day of My Life . I was like: 'This cannot be happening at the Waggon and Horses pub. '"

Justin had followed Sam on Instagram a few days earlier, DM'd him to say he liked his music, and shared Sam's songs with his 206 million followers.

" I feel like I skipped a lot of steps when I found out that he liked my music, " Sam, 24, tells Newsbeat.

" I was like: 'Surely there's a couple of people that I've got to meet before I meet you?'. "

On FaceTime Justin invited Sam to Los Angeles .

Sam flew Out There and spent a whole day with his new friend, going for lunch and hanging out in the studio together.

" I couldn't have possibly asked for a better day with someone that I've looked up To My whole life.

" It just shows that anything is possible, especially with Social Media . You can really do anything and reach anyone. "

Sam's career started at the Age Of 16, when he busked on The Streets of Brighton for Pocket Money .

" I went to a skate shop in Brighton and I saw this hat and I couldn't afford it, " He Said .

" One of my mates suggested that I went and busked for it, because they knew I could sing. "

He did - and he made The Money to buy the hat " very quickly".

Sam started busking every weekend, and it wasn't long before he started doing gigs too. But wasn't always Easy Money .

He remembers once being booed off stage by people he'd grown up with in his hometown of Eastbourne, where he was opening as support act.

" It was brutal, " he says.

" I came off and I remember that it was sort of a make or break situation for me. "

Since then Sam's released EPs and singles which have brought in millions of streams by listeners, and gone on sold-out tours.

With Big Plans for new music and tours in 2022, Sam's not got plans to go Back on The Streets of Brighton much.

" It's important to know that people make a living off busking, " he says.

" I don't want anyone to feel like I'm taking food away from their mouths, so I wouldn't do it too often. But I do it every now And Then For Fun . "

what a Great Day with my boy! ?:

— Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) The Bbc is not responsible for the content of external sites.

He says his success in music has surprised him.

" It doesn't make any sense, " He Said . " And it's all happened very quickly. I feel very grateful.

" I've sort of exceeded any expectation I ever had of myself. "

Follow Newsbeat on, and.

Listen to Newsbeat at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen Back .

Source of news: bbc.com