A former cop’s hatred of a type of funk music led to him scooping £80,000 on the lottery.
Kenneth Matthew used to argue with a worker at his local Exxon station about go-go tunes.
It is a form of funk that was popular in the 1960s and 70s.
Whenever he popped into his local store, Kenneth would hear the clerk blasting go-go tunes, particularly funky rhythms by guitarist Chuck Brown.
Kenneth, of Laurel City, just north of Washington DC, told Maryland Lottery that he normally buys the Ravens X5 scratchcard for £4 ($5).
However, he had been thinking about trying the $100,000 Ca$h scratchcard, which costs £24.20 ($30), for some time.
The game started with 65 top prizes of £80,670 ($100,000).
Kenneth, an ex-Baltimore Police Department officer, said he talked to the Exxon worker about the merits of both scratchcards.
The clerk then made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
The worker suggested: “When you come in and buy that ticket, I’ll turn the go-go music off.”
It was all the motivation Kenneth needed and he immediately snapped up the untried scratchcard.
He scratched it off at home and realised he’d won a cash prize, but initially thought it was just £806.70 ($1,000).
However, when he was later recounting the story to a friend, she told him: “You know you won more than that?”
Kenneth said his jaw dropped when he realised he’d won 100 times more than he first thought.
He said: “It’s the first time I played that card.
“It’s a blessing. It’s a blessing.”
The former cop said he had won a few small prizes with his Ravens X5 scratchcard, but nothing more than $1,000.
Kenneth said he will use his winnings to help pay for his daughter’s college education.
He bought his winning scratchcard at Exxon on Central Avenue in Capitol Heights, Maryland.
The business will receive a bonus of $1,000 for selling the winning ticket.
Last month, a lucky lady bagged a million on the lottery while killing time as her hubby got a haircut.
Mary Leary bought Massachusetts State Lottery’s ‘$4,000,000 Diamonds’ scratchcard for £8 ($10).
While her husband was busy getting a short back and sides, Mary scratched off her ticket and scooped £806,320 ($1 million).
The odds of her winning the jackpot were 1 in 1.792 million.
