Post Malone went above and beyond on Christmas Eve when he left a single mother, who works as a bartender at a dive bar in Texas, speechless and in tears with a very generous $20,000 tip.
36-year-old Renee Brown was working a late night shift on Christmas Eve into Christmas Morning, struggling with the reality of being away from her 9-year-old daughter, Iliana, for the holiday, Post made an unexpected visit to The Railyard, a small neighborhood establishment frequented by locals, in Houston where she works.
“Going into work Christmas Eve, I was so sad I had to leave my baby girl to go to work. Oblivious that God would send me a Christmas miracle,” Renee admitted. “This is hands down the most humble, personable celebrity I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. He changed my life on Christmas Eve, and will forever be grateful. Thank you so much, Austin.”
Renee, a single mother with no living relatives who works two jobs to make ends meet, shared her story exclusively with Music Mayhem. “The day started off super slow, and I was just taking it as it was, trying to be in a good mood for others while dealing with not being able to spend Christmas Eve with my daughter,” she explained. “We usually bake cookies and watch Christmas movies, and this was the first time I wasn’t able to do that.”As
As the evening continued, the place got busier and busier. Then, when she was least expecting it, Post made an unexpected visit to her place of employment during her shift with some of his friends, including “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” singer, Shaboozey.
The Virginia native made sure that Post Malone, whose real name is Austin Post, would be comfortable and could enjoy his time at the bar and not be bothered by fans. “I told all my regulars not to be weird and bug him as it’s a neighborhood dive bar, and I’m sure he picked a place like that to feel a sense of normalcy,” she added before describing how the atmosphere of the bar changed when he arrived. “It lifted the spirits of the entire bar. It was amazing to see everyone so happy and seeing how kind he was to all the people that spend their days with me on the regular.” He and his entourage of friends then had a few drinks and jammed to music on the jukebox till closing time early on Christmas morning (Dec. 25). As closing approached, Post Malone requested his check, but to his surprise, he didn’t have one as several of the bar patrons and his friends covered his bill.
“Everyone that he was with was also so kind and inviting, we had a great night jamming to songs on the jukebox. Then came time for last call and to close. When Austin asked for his check, he didn’t have one because many regulars and his friends bought his beverages,” Renee detailed. Post Malone then insisted that Renee charge him for something, so he was able to leave a tip for her service. “So he asked me to ring him up for a penny or anything, so I did. I continued my close and collected all my checks and started to enter my tips. Then I got to his. It was a tip for 20,000 dollars,” she said in a state of shock.
The tip left Renee speechless and in tears. “I immediately broke down crying. It was a very emotional night already being away from home, being swamped behind the bar, trying to process that they were even there and then the tip on top,” the 36-year-old mother of one said.
After becoming overcome with emotion from Post Malone’s generosity, Renee graciously thanked the 29-year-old singer/songwriter. “I finally got a chance to stop cleaning and talk to him some more and thank him. I know I was crying and thanking him, but he has no ideas exactly how much this meant to me.”
Renee Brown went on to share that “it’s been incredibly tough being a single mom” and how the only person she can rely on is herself. “I work two jobs and home school my daughter. I’m constantly exhausted. We’ve been without a car for two years. And recently moved after losing everything and starting over from scratch in August of 2024,” the 36-year-old Houston bartender revealed.
The $20,000 tip was life-changing for Renee, as it provided her with some relief and stability she hadn’t experienced in many years. “This put me in a position to at least be able to get a way back and forth to work and pay up on rent and save a bit. I’m trying to save up to start a business, so I don’t have to continue working two jobs and be able to spend more time with my daughter. Things have been extremely difficult, and this was truly a blessing that I can’t fully put into words. The visit alone was absolutely amazing and something I could talk about and remember for the rest of my life.”
As Renee continues to reflect on the life-changing experience she shared with Post Malone, she hopes the “Circles” singer knows how grateful she is for this act of kindness. “If this message reaches him, I know I told him that night how grateful I am, but I’d like to reiterate that he helped me in ways I can’t even begin to explain,” she concluded. “My best friend [Matthew] and I have been huge fans of him for years, and it was amazing we got to meet him and experience that moment.”
Photo: Renee Brown