Violinist Joshua Bell was left shocked and disappointed when he realised parents don't like their children paying attention to street musicians during a recent busking experiment.The acclaimed classical musician dressed down and wore a disguise for his odd free show at the Washington D.C. Metro (subway) station - and was surprised no one recognised him.

Reporting back to editors of the Washington Post newspaper, who came up with the ruse, Bell confessed he was appalled to discover so many adults don't like their children to stop for buskers.

He tells WENN, "I had a baseball hat on and tattered clothes, so, if there was anyone who had been to my concerts, they would not have known it was me.

"It was sad and interesting because children tended to want to stop and listen and parents...

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(DENVER) The 16th Street Mall is full of sounds these days with the help of several painted pianos up and down the way. The pianos are found in the middle of the street with buskers and street performers along the sidewalks. The painted pianos were donated from Craig's List and part of the program "Your Keys to the City" creating unique "useable art" for citizens to enjoy.

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Tom Jones’s first attempt at busking began ominously as a crowd gathered around a set of speakers and a lone microphone set up on the South Bank of the Thames near the Royal Festival Hall. “It’s Tom Jones, isn’t it?” one woman asked. “I’ve never liked him since he had his nose done. He had a sensible Welsh nose in the old days.”

Skateboarders and BMX bikers gathered nonplussed at a nearby underpass. Sir Tom would be using the graffiti-covered skating area if it rained, they were told. “That would be a bit awkward,” one BMX rider said. “We’d have to ride around him.”

But any doubt that the 68-year-old singer could still thrill a crowd was dispelled the moment he stepped up to the microphone. “Can you hear me all right?” he asked. The crowd, which had swelled to about 400, cheered and raised their arms, not in celebration, but to capture the moment on their mobile telephones.
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(TOURISM) Museums, theaters, galleries – The world’s cities are full of attractions they promote to lure visitors.However, even streets can become important landmarks attracting tourists from afar. The very least we can do is try to busk them all.

Below is a list compiled by Tourism-Review.com on their top 10 most popular streets in the whole wide world.

Champs Elysées - Paris
La Rambla - Barcelona
Fifth Avenue - New York
Appian Way - Rome
Magnificent Mile - Chicago
Gran Vía - Madrid
Wall Street - New York
Lombard Street - San Francisco
Zeil - Frankfurt
Váci Utca - Budapest


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The website Savage Content has put together a brief history of busking for those interested. It starts with Rome and crosses over to "America" and ends with today's busking stars.
Check it out at the link below.

A brief history of busking