LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:
And we'll finish today with this. Tom Moore - Capt. Tom Moore, that is - turns 100 this Thursday. He is the World War II vet who's broken not one but two records during this pandemic. Earlier this month, he set out to raise money for Britain's beleaguered National Health Service. So he walked 100 laps of his garden using his walker, his military medals pinned to his chest. Moore thought he'd raise maybe a thousand dollars. Instead, he raised over 30 million, the most ever for a charity walk. He's become a national hero in the U.K. And now he's also a pop star.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
TOM MOORE: (Singing) When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Captain Tom, as he's now known, joined singer Michael Ball and an NHS choir for a socially distanced rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone." The song rushed to the very top of the British charts. And now Captain Tom is the oldest artist ever to hold the No. 1 spot. Congratulations, Captain Tom. And happy early birthday.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE")
TOM MOORE AND MICHAEL BALL: (Singing) Walk on through the wind. Walk on through the rain. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
