LATE BLUES LEGEND BB KING’S youngest fan has become an internet sensation after recording a music video dedicated to his idol.
Crackley School pupil Toby Lee gained a huge following after his blues video titled ‘Get Well Soon Mr BB King’ went viral and was viewed by more than five million people online.
The ten-year-old’s video – which shows him playing his guitar along to a backing track – was even shared by musician Joe Bonamassa, who called Toby ‘one of the future superstars of the blues’.
Sadly the 89-year-old guitar legend never got to see the video as he died last week following a short illness.
Toby’s dad Terry said: “Toby was heartbroken to hear of his passing.
“Like all ten-year-olds he cries when he is tired but I had never seen him cry over a person until the morning BB King died.
“He has been asked by BB’s daughter Shirley to play on a tribute single to her father and he is really keen to do this.”
Toby first discovered his love for the guitar when he was just four-years-old and his grandmother gave him a ukelele.
He played it until the strings broke and was then given a guitar, which he now uses to play on his ‘Sunday Jam Sessions’ – a live stream watched by thousands of people where he plays music from Jimi Hendrix to ACDC.
And he’s even been asked to become a designer for a clothing manufacturer All-In-One because he plays his sessions in a tiger stripe onesie.
The youngster is entirely self-taught but comes from a musical background with dad Terry playing the drums and mum Tracy a pianist.
Terry said: “Toby’s always been passionate about the guitar and has a natural gift. He’s always strumming in the back of the car on his way to school. He absolutely refuses to sing though.
“He’s only ten but he’s already getting fan mail. He is really good at school and they are very supportive of his music. We want to keep him as grounded as possible while enabling him to enjoy the opportunities being presented to him along the way.
“We didn’t anticipate the level of support he is receiving and some of the statistics are mind-blowing. We are getting lots of requests to play at events so we are just managing though on a one to one basis and keeping it fun at this stage.”
Search Toby Lee – guitar hero on YouTube to watch Toby’s videos.
