WASHINGTON (WP) - Billionaire businessman Richard Branson's daughter Holly had seen Ed Sheeran playing in small clubs in Britain before he was a star.

At one such show in 2011, she asked him to play at her wedding.

A few months later, he suddenly had a No. 1 debut album.

Holly thought: "There's no way he's going to show up."

But he did. On Wednesday, he again popped up - this time in her living room in Washington, DC - to perform a 20-minute set for about 70 people.

The showcase was organised by Sofar Sounds which features musicians in small, intimate venues. Proceeds went towards refugee support.

Sheeran, who performed four songs, thanked the audience for skipping work to turn up in the middle of the day. One fan said she was a student.

"College is important," he assured her, "but not today."