Playing his guitar and singing for passersby while standing on a downtown sidewalk wasn’t  something Jon Pappas set out to do. 

But one evening, having no gig to play and somewhat bored, the singer-songwriter, now living in Warren, Ohio, packed up his guitar and headed to downtown Youngstown.

“It was a different kind of rush than a normal gig,” Pappas said. “Maybe because people that normally wouldn’t see you were seeing you. Maybe it’s because it was unconventional, unplugged, raw. The people seemed to enjoy it, especially when I just started making up songs on the fly about them as they walked by. And I managed to get a few gigs from it.” 

Because of his busking ventures, Pappas has garnered attention he never anticipated. He is now a regularly featured artist airing on the American Busker iHeartRadio station founded and owned by Nancy Belle Hahn of Pittsburgh.

Hahn has a long history in television and media. She was the first woman to launch and operate a terrestrial UHF television station – WNEU-TV in Pittsburgh, which was started in the 1980s.

She also owns iHeartRadio Stations iRead2Know, MyToonsRadio, Science Star Kids, The Adventures of Eshe the Ethiopian Elephant, Planet Pink Club and Puppies of Puccini Pawcast, in which all the music and stories are created and written by her. She  serves on the board of directors of the historic Warner Cascade Theatre Museum in New Castle, Pa.

“Organically discovering and featuring new talent that is otherwise overlooked fills a great void in the entertainment industry,” Hahn said. Her American Busker station, founded seven years ago, now reaches 150 million households. It features some of the world’s top buskers and independent artists, she said. 

Last year, Hahn, whose company is also based in the Pittsburgh area, launched her “American Busker: Street to Star” TV series. It showcases talent from 44 countries. 

Hahn is encouraging indie artists and street performers from the Mahoning and Shenango valleys to email their music or video links to mahoningvalleybusking@yahoo.com to be considered as featured artists.

“American Busker: Street to Star” showcases talent from around the world and streams on the Freecast TV, Xumo TV, Roku TV, Caribbean One and ESCAPES TV streaming platforms.  

The show is hosted by Quincy Bonds, a well-known actor from “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne.” 

“Hosting this show has given me a new perspective on entertainment and how much talent we have on our streets,” Bonds said. “Nancy Hahn has created an American iconic show that bridges the gap between talent and entertainment.”

The series follows a 12-episode format featuring interviews and performances during which indie artists and buskers offer insights into their original music and stories. It also features segments like the “American Busker Street Party” and discussions with emerging artists.

Grammy Award winner Sid Mills – recipient of nine Grammy nominations – is the music director. 

Ron Davenport Jr., COO of the Pittsburgh-based Sheridan Broadcasting Corp., said the series is the ultimate reality show with user-generated content.

“It’s amazing that no one has thought of this before as these performers are literally hiding in plain sight,” he said.

The show features an interactive game called Busker Bingo that families can play throughout the day while watching the series and attempt to guess the rock guitar riffs. The series features Pittsburgh-area guitar standout David Granati, who also performs a rock guitar theme song for the show.  

Hahn is extending her talent search in an area that she said is sometimes overlooked or underappreciated. 

“This area, northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania, is very near and dear to my heart,” she said. “My father, Ralph Noviello, was born and raised in New Castle, and I spent many summers as a child with my grandmother, Antoinette Litrenta Noviello, in New Castle. The true grit and integrity of the people in this part of the American Rust Belt is second to none, and I’m so proud to have that in my DNA.”

Pictured at top: Jon Pappas performs during a recent gig at Paladin Brewing in Austintown. He has been featured on the American Busker iHeartRadio station.