An ordinary afternoon in Paris turned into an unforgettable celebration of rock when a flashmob erupted in the city’s heart, performing Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Among the musicians, one stood out — 12-year-old Welsh guitarist Olly Pearson, whose performance electrified the crowd and captivated millions online.
Clutching his Patrick Eggle Berlin Pro — the same model famously played by Queen’s Brian May — Olly delivered the song’s iconic solos with precision and passion far beyond his years. The young guitarist’s tone, control, and expression caught everyone off guard. Passersby stopped, phones lifted, and within minutes, the street transformed into a sea of applause and awe. By nightfall, videos of the performance had gone viral, amassing tens of millions of views.
What made the moment even more remarkable was not just Olly’s age, but the depth of his musicality. In a time when live performance is often dominated by pop acts and digital production, this 12-year-old’s raw musicianship stood out. One online comment summed up the sentiment: “Brian May would be proud. This is real rock and roll being carried forward by a new generation.” Another wrote, “He’s not imitating anyone — he’s becoming his own version of a legend.”
For Olly’s family, this viral explosion felt like a continuation of a story that had already begun on one of the world’s biggest stages. A few years earlier, Olly — then just nine — stepped onto the Britain’s Got Talent stage as “Guitar Olly.” His performance, a fierce medley of AC/DC, Van Halen, and Queen, stunned the judges and earned him a rare distinction: two Golden Buzzers in a single season.
His father, Simon Pearson, still recalls the overwhelming emotion of that night. “At first, I was terrified letting him go onstage alone,” he admitted. “But when he started playing, the fear just disappeared. The golden buzzer moment happened so fast — one minute he was walking off the platform, the next, gold was falling from the ceiling. It was surreal.”
Behind Olly’s gift lies a strong family connection to music. His grandfather, Lee Hughes, was the one who first placed a guitar in his hands at age seven. “When Olly asked me to teach him, I had no idea it would lead here,” Lee said proudly. “To share this with him — to play together and see how happy it makes him — it’s every grandad’s dream.”
Olly’s inspirations are clear: Angus Young’s energy, Eddie Van Halen’s innovation, and Brian May’s melodic flair. Yet his approach feels personal. His phrasing has intent, his energy feels instinctive, and his presence already commands attention. Simon Cowell once told him, “You’re that good. You don’t just play the guitar — you already sound like you.”
With his Bohemian Rhapsody flashmob performance now a viral sensation, Olly Pearson is quickly becoming more than a child prodigy. He represents a new wave of young musicians proving that rock’s spirit is still alive and evolving. Whether on talent-show stages or in the streets of Paris, Olly plays with a conviction that suggests this is just the beginning of a lifelong journey — one rooted in passion, family, and the timeless power of live music.
