Autistic child's cover of 'Piano Man' is viral hit - video

Published Apr 29 2012, 23:58 BST  |  By Tom Eames

A video clip of an autistic child performing a cover of Billy Joel's classic 'Piano Man' has become a YouTube hit.

6-year-old Ethan Walmark from Westport, Connecticut, suffers from a form of autism that means he struggles with social interaction but also has an incredible talent for music.

Watch the clip below:



The latest clip has been watched over 500,000 times since it was uploaded last week. It features Walmark playing the piano effortlessly while his father plays guitar and sings the song's lyrics.

His parents Mike and Alison first noticed their son's talent when he played 'I Will' by The Beatles on the piano by ear.

"We just want our son to be happy, whatever that means to him," his father told a local Conneticut newspaper last year.

"It's not about us anymore. It's about him."

Ethan has also featured in 20 videos on YouTube singing covers of the likes of James Taylor and a-ha.