Meet Ian Rae, at 78 years old, this pianist, musician, and composer has defied the odds over the past three years, releasing 14 albums and 7 singles, amassing 3 million Spotify streams, and building a social media following of over 750,000.

Born in Glasgow and residing in London for nearly 50 years, Ian began his musical journey at age 10, winning a scholarship to Kelvinside Academy. He wrote his first song, Just a Dream, at 14 while playing rhythm guitar in a band. Today, the song has 21,000 Spotify streams.

In 2021, at his daughter Fiona’s suggestion, Ian embraced TikTok and quickly built a devoted audience. Playing livesstreams three times a day on TikTok and Instagram, he gained over 530,000 TikTok followers, 180,000 Instagram followers, and now reached 3 million Spotify streams without ever performing a live gig.

His music catalogue includes 14 albums—10 of which have surpassed 100,000 streams—and 7 singles. His debut album, Beyond the Clouds, has over 650,000 streams, with the title track reaching over 360,000 streams.

Ian’s TikTok content has even caught the attention of celebrities. American rapper and singer Doja Cat awarded him an impressive 11 out of 10 for a video he created on the platform. His playful and engaging personality has helped him garner 65 million views on TikTok and Instagram, where he mixes humour with his music.

Ian’s compositions have been performed in musicals at Fairfield Halls and the Minack Theatre, and his library music for Sony/EMI has aired globally.

His creativity, resilience, and generosity, donating over £32,000 of his earnings to charity continues to inspire audiences and young musicians worldwide.