Emily Zamourka, who became internet famous after an LAPD officer shared a clip of her singing Puccini, has been offered a recording contract, TMZ reports. Netizens loved the 52-year-old, who became homeless after moving to the United States more than two decades ago. She had been teaching violin and piano lessons for most of her life, but fell ill and wound up homeless when she couldn’t afford medical care.
4 million people call LA home. 4 million stories. 4 million voices...sometimes you just have to stop and listen to one, to hear something beautiful. pic.twitter.com/VzlmA0c6jX
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) September 27, 2019
“I have people that feel sorry for me, but I don’t want to be a burden to anybody,” she told ABC 7.
Yet lady luck has smiled upon her once more as a result of her video that got almost a million views in one week. Grammy-nominated music producer Joel Diamond told TMZ he drafted an offer letter for Zamourka in the hopes of making a “huge classical-EDM crossover hit record for the subway soprano” after the Los Angeles Police Department video.
Diamond, who produced David Hasselhoff’s platinum album in Germany, and has produced 12 albums for legendary singer Engelbert Humperdinck, said the first record will be called “Paradise” and released on Silver Blue Records, the record label he founded in 1973.
Two GoFundMe campaigns have raised thousands of dollars for Zamourka, one surpassing $52,000 and the other tipping $32,000. According to TMZ, she also got a gig singing at an Italian heritage event in Los Angeles on Saturday.
