On August 19, 2026, international pop superstar Ed Sheeran surprised patrons at Sakazuki, a sake and sushi bar inside Detroit’s Book Tower, by delivering an impromptu karaoke duet of his 2014 smash “Thinking Out Loud” with local communications specialist Kevin Reddy, just ahead of his upcoming tour stop at Ford Field.
Here is the kicker:
The Bottom Line
- The Impromptu Stop: Ed Sheeran dropped into the Book Tower’s Japanese restaurant Hiroki-San and upstairs karaoke lounge Sakazuki on Wednesday, August 19, while traveling through Detroit en route to Toronto.
- The Fan Encounter: Local resident Kevin Reddy spotted the singer, walked over to his table to serenade him with a few bars, and ultimately secured a twenty-minute chat alongside Sheeran’s wife, Cherry Seaborn.
A Liquid Courage Hail Mary in the Book Tower
Reddy, a 32-year-old communications specialist living in Detroit, was preparing to sing “Thinking Out Loud” for Sakazuki’s regular Wednesday karaoke night when word spread that the British singer-songwriter was dining downstairs at Hiroki-San, according to reporting by the Detroit News.
Armed with a bit of liquid courage after downing a few Miller High Lifes, Reddy and his girlfriend, Emily Lange, decided to seek out the singer. A helpful waitress pointed them toward a corner table where Sheeran sat wearing a baseball cap alongside his wife, Cherry Seaborn. Instead of being brushed off by security, Reddy took a massive shot in the dark, walking straight up to the table to pitch a few lines of his 2014 mega-hit, which boasts over 3.1 billion streams on Spotify.
As Reddy recounted to the Detroit News, the interaction was surprisingly grounded. “He turned around, laughed, and motioned for us to come over. He was super welcoming and gracious,” Reddy noted, describing a relaxed twenty-minute conversation before throwing down one final Hail Mary request to take the microphone together upstairs.
Inside the Detroit Tour Stop and Live Music Economics
Sheeran is currently traversing North America on a massive stadium routing, with a massive upcoming headlining appearance scheduled at Detroit’s Ford Field on August 29.
| Metric / Detail | Data Point |
|---|---|
| Encounter Date | August 19, 2026 |
| Location | Sakazuki / Hiroki-San (Book Tower, Detroit) |
| Song Performed | “Thinking Out Loud” (2014) |
| Spotify Streams for Track | Over 3.1 billion |
| Upcoming Detroit Venue | Ford Field (August 29, 2026) |
Long before Sheeran’s team could issue a press release, Lange’s cellphone footage of the duet was making the rounds across digital platforms. Reddy found himself fielding requests from dedicated fan sites by Thursday morning while trying to power through his normal workday.
Why Impromptu Fan Interactions Defy the Corporate Machine
As Reddy put it when reflecting on his surreal night out before heading across the street to celebrate at the Bastille, “Literally, nothing can top this. I’ll always have this.”
Drop a comment below: Have you ever witnessed a major celebrity break character in an ordinary local spot, or is this the ultimate karaoke dream come true?
