It’s been roughly a week since 11-year-old guitarist Olly Pearson stole the spotlight in the viral “Bohemian Rhapsody” flash mob in Paris — and the world can’t stop talking about him.
In just days, the video amassed tens of millions of views across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, with fans calling Pearson “a young Brian May in the making.” Since then, the young shredder has received countless invitations from bands across the globe eager to work with him.
From BGT to Paris Streets
Pearson first rose to fame on Britain’s Got Talent earlier this year, becoming the first contestant in show history to receive two Golden Buzzers in a single season. His show-stopping performances of AC/DC’s Highway to Hell, Van Halen’s Jump, and Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now stunned both audiences and judges alike.
Amanda Holden was visibly shaken, exclaiming: “Oh my God, Olly. Literally, a star is born. I have never, ever seen anything like that in my life.”
Simon Cowell added: “You already have your own distinct sound, which normally takes people decades. You’re that good!”
Though he ultimately placed fourth in the BGT finals, Pearson’s career trajectory has skyrocketed far beyond the show.
A Viral Moment in Paris
On September 8, pianist Julien Cohen organized an epic flash mob in Paris to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. With more than 30 singers and musicians, the performance felt like a once-in-a-lifetime street concert.
At the heart of it all was Pearson, whose blistering solo nearly stole the entire show. As one Reddit user wrote: “Bohemian Rhapsody is already powerful, but with 30 voices echoing through Paris — and that kid shredding — it was unreal.”
Callisto, the flamboyant lead singer of the flash mob, admitted: “Never in a million years would I have thought I’d be coming in on a horse and carriage in Paris singing Bohemian Rhapsody.”
The Grandfather Who Sparked It All
At the heart of Olly Pearson’s story is a deeply touching bond with his grandfather, Lee. Long before Paris and viral fame, it was Lee who first nurtured Olly’s passion for the guitar.
Lee recalled after the Paris flash mob: “Olly saw a guy playing in the street and said, ‘I want to do that.’ I hadn’t really played seriously since I was a teenager, but I picked up the guitar again. We started with simple ‘60s stuff — songs I knew well. I didn’t so much teach him as I just opened the door, and out it came. But within two years, he was passing me. Light years ahead.”
The journey wasn’t just about skills — it was a shared experience that brought the two generations together. Lee remembered: “We’d sit together in the living room, guitars in hand. I’d show him a chord or two, and then he’d run with it. His dedication was unbelievable. Even at nine, he’d practice relentlessly, and I could see that spark of something extraordinary.”
Olly’s entry into rock came soon after. Inspired by street performers and classic rock heroes, he asked his mom for permission: “Can I try some rock?” She said yes, and soon Olly was mastering AC/DC’s Highway to Hell, Van Halen’s Jump, and eventually Brian May’s solos from Queen — all before his twelfth birthday.
Now, Olly’s mom’s dining room has become a full-fledged guitar emporium, with over 20 instruments carefully tuned for different sounds. From his first hesitant strum to his explosive solos on the Paris streets, Olly has grown into a prodigy whose talent stretches far beyond a family living room — a young musician ready to take the world stage by storm.