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US comedian gets New York City subway passengers to sing full birthday chorus for his sister-in-law. Watch

A US comedian charmed the internet by rallying New York subway commuters to sing a birthday chorus for his sister-in-law.

Published on: Dec 07, 2025 9:00 PM IST
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A US comedian transformed an ordinary New York City subway commute into a lively birthday celebration for his sister-in-law, delighting passengers and social media viewers alike.

A US comedian went viral after he got New York subway passengers to sing a birthday song for his sister-in-law. (Instagram/tomkellyshow)
A US comedian went viral after he got New York subway passengers to sing a birthday song for his sister-in-law. (Instagram/tomkellyshow)

The man, identified as Tom Kelly, posted a video on Instagram showing him standing inside a moving subway carriage and requesting the attention of everyone on board.

In the clip he announces, “Attention people on the subway, my name is Tom. It is my sister-in-law's birthday. I'm making her a birthday video, trying to get her to come to New York City. Will you all join with me in singing happy birthday to my sister-in-law, Janine? Ready? Here we go. Happy birthday to you.” Passengers soon join him, turning the otherwise routine ride into a cheerful singalong.

Passengers join the unexpected birthday chorus

As the carriage fills with voices, Kelly continues encouraging the crowd. “Come on, New York. Happy birthday to you. Just a little louder for her. Happy birthday dear Janine. Happy birthday to you. You hear that? They're singing for you, Janine. You're the best sister in law ever.” The commuters respond with claps and cheers, clearly enjoying the spontaneous celebration.

Kelly then adds with a wide grin, “Happy birthday. Look, New York is cheering for you, Janine. Come to New York. Come to New York. All right, that was push again. That was push again.”

Watch the clip here:

He shared the clip with a caption that reads, “New York City Subway comes together to wish my sister-in-law a happy birthday.”

Internet reacts to the viral moment

The video has attracted a wave of enthusiastic comments. One viewer remarked, “Getting even five people to sing with you on a rush hour train is outstanding work, bravo.” Another user joked, “This is amazing, can you do it again tomorrow? It’s my bday.”

Someone else commented, “Hahaha I can’t believe everyone sang,” while another viewer said, “I would sing along.” One person noted, “Amazing, love it,” and another added, “Janine I was watching this from the Jersey shore and I wanna tell you to go to New York.”

(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)

  • Mahipal Singh Chouhan
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Mahipal Singh Chouhan

    Mahipal Singh Chouhan is a journalist at Hindustan Times, skilled in creating engaging narratives across various genres, including human interest stories, trending topics, scientific developments, viral news, and social media trends. He is also an avid enthusiast of history.Read More