(C) BoingBoing
This story was originally published by BoingBoing and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .



Meet eleven-year-old guitar prodigy Olly Pearson [1]

['Jennifer Sandlin']

Date: 2025-09-11

We just brought you news of this awesome performance of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". It's unlike any rendition of the rock anthem I've seen, because it was performed flashmob-style by thirty musicians and vocalists on a street in Paris, much to the delight of all of the folks who were lucky enough to be wandering the street or hanging out in the nearby restaurants and cafes at the perfect time. What a magical experience for everyone involved in the production and for the bystanders who got to witness it!

The video of the performance was recently uploaded by pianist Julien Cohen, who describes himself as a "concert pianist and teacher" who brings his piano to "places you wouldn't expect." In this case, Cohen brought his piano to the middle of a sidewalk in Paris, where he performed Bohemian Rhapsody along with singers who popped out from behind doors and windows, and emerged on balconies. Lead singer Mickey Callisto, who did an impressive job with the iconic song, began singing as he rode in a human-drawn carriage. Soloists DDKN sisters, Sone, Coline Sicre, and Michael Koné also all did a terrific job.

But to me the standout of the entire production was eleven-year-old guitarist Olly Pearson. I was blown away by his guitar solo — what absolute talent! I needed to know more about this eleven-year-old prodigy and went down the rabbit hole of his social media, where he goes by "Guitar Olly." I learned that he's been playing guitar since he was six, when his grandfather started giving him lessons. His favorite bands include AC/DC, The Rolling Stones, Metallica, Foo Fighters, Van Halen, and Queen. He describes his passion for music on his YouTube:

I entertained my neighbours during lockdown and I am now so passionate I have started my own channel (with a little help from my parents!) all about my love for guitars and music. I really want to become a guitarist.

Olly got a golden buzzer earlier this year on Britain's Got Talent. Guitar Player describes that performance:

With the cheering crowd already on his side, and his proud grandfather Lee looking on, Pearson paid tribute to Angus by kicking things off with a crunchy slice of "Highway to Hell." In the blink of an eye, AC/DC morphed into Van Halen as the young picker nailed some of Eddie's spunky licks on "Jump." But the kid – and the crowd – was just getting warmed up. He concluded his star-making spot with a smashing, note-perfect performance of Brian May's solo on Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now."

He's incredible, and is already making waves in the music world. I can't wait to see what's next for him!

See more of Guitar Olly at his YouTube or Instagram.

Previously:

• Surprise! Flashmob stuns crowd on Paris street with awesome version of Bohemian Rhapsody (video)

• Watch Kazuya Murata, competitive yo-yo's child prodigy

• How a child math prodigy sees numbers as shapes

• This rarely heard guitar solo from Pink Floyd's Animals was only included on the album's 8-Track release

• Prince's epic 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' guitar solo has a new director's cut

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://boingboing.net/2025/09/11/meet-eleven-year-old-guitar-prodigy-olly-pearson.html

Published and (C) by BoingBoing
Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/boingboing/