Michael Bublé shoutout? Not a bad night for cleveland.com’s Hayden Grove

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Hayden Grove has been Feeling Good today.

As a sports activities social-media producer for cleveland.com, Grove has a front-row vantage for all the metropolis’s sports activities information which, this yr alone, has saved him busy with the Browns’ DeShaun Watson, the Guardians run and now a Cavaliers blockbuster commerce.

“Feeling Good” is also the title of a basic Sixties track that Grove, a jazz vocalist, lately recorded and is the title of his second album, which got here out final month. Grove launched his debut assortment of songs, “Hayden: The Album,” in 2019.

Life, although, bought a bit higher Thursday in Pittsburgh, when Grove went to listen to Michael Bublé in live performance.

Bublé, taking a break and sitting for a second whereas he casually addressed the gang, gave a shoutout to Grove.

“Hayden Grove is a man I began following on TikTok, and I acknowledge him within the crowd,” Bublé informed the followers at PPG Paints Enviornment.

Then it bought higher.

Bublé implored the gang: “So you understand what – let’s blow up the man’s TikTok, lets blow up your TikTok dude!”

Grove, an Ohio State College graduate who was born in Florida, was elated.

“Yeah, it was fairly wild,” he stated.

Bublé, who additionally carried out “Feeling Good” Thursday evening, repeated Grove’s TikTok deal with – @h_grove – throughout his minute-long hat tip.

Grove, who began working at cleveland.com in 2016, has been a fan of Bublé’s for years.

“In the course of the pandemic, I put out a Tweet being somewhat sentimental about what he’s meant for me and excited for the way forward for his music,” Grove stated. “He responded on Instagram DMs and was grateful and grateful and really appreciative.

“He did a Q and A this yr, and the purpose was to ship in a video asking a query. I despatched in a video, and he stated, ‘Oh, I do know this man, I’ve seen him.’ A few months go by and – clearly he has an enormous following on TikTok – and at some point I awakened and he noticed a video of mine and adopted me. I’m nonetheless certainly one of 68 individuals he follows on TikTok.”

The popularity Thursday was a shock.

“I don’t know if he had an thought I used to be coming to the present,” Grove stated. “I posted one thing, however I didn’t tag him or something and I don’t know if he noticed it.”

A number of songs into the present, Bublé sang his hit, “Residence,” proper in entrance of Grove. Then he launched into the minute-long shoutout.

“It was essentially the most unbelievable factor ever,” stated Grove, who has at all times wished to be a singer.

“I’ve liked a variety of issues,” he stated. “I’ve liked singing my entire life. I additionally love Cleveland and I really like sports activities right here. My grandfather was my greatest pal rising up, and he’s from right here and he brainwashed me and got here right down to Florida and made me watch all of the Browns, Indians and Cavs video games. I’m making an attempt to do every thing on the identical time.”

A day after Bublé’s live performance, Grove was nonetheless, properly, feeling good concerning the tribute on stage in addition to his personal profession.

“I hope the reveals get greater and the albums get higher,” he stated. “Who is aware of what’s going to come of it?”

Grove’s gigs

Grove’s public performances scheduled this month:

• 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, at 3 Palms Pizzeria, 281 Principal St., in Crocker Park in Westlake.

• 5:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10, Ridgefield Social, Ridgeville.

• 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16, StoneWater Golf Membership “The Yard,” One Membership Dr., Highland Heights.

• 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, Broadway Creek Senior Residing, 1046 N. Jefferson St., Medina.

For particulars and extra performances, go surfing.

“Feeling Good”

Right here’s Bublé’s model.

Right here’s Grove’s model.

And right here’s a assessment from the Pittsburgh Submit-Gazette on Bublé’s live performance Thursday.

I’m on cleveland.com’s life and tradition crew and canopy meals, beer, wine and sports-related subjects. If you wish to see my tales, right here’s a listing on cleveland.com. Invoice Wills of WTAM-1100 and I discuss food and drinks often at 8:20 a.m. Thursday morning. Twitter: @mbona30.

Get a jumpstart on the weekend and join for Cleveland.com’s weekly “Within the CLE” e-mail e-newsletter, your important information to the highest issues to do in Better Cleveland. It is going to arrive in your inbox on Friday mornings – an unique to-do record, specializing in the most effective of the weekend enjoyable. Eating places, music, motion pictures, performing arts, household enjoyable and extra. Simply click on right here to subscribe. All cleveland.com newsletters are free.