Toby Lee (musician)

Toby Lee
Born	(2005-01-27) 27 January 2005 (age 20) Warwickshire, England
Musical career
Genres	Blues soul R&B pop rock blues rock rock and roll
Occupation	Guitarist
Instruments	6-string guitar
Years active	2010–present
Website	www.toby-lee.com
External videos Toby Lee playing with Ronnie Baker Brooks

Toby Lee (born 27 January 2005) is an English guitarist from Oxfordshire, England. Lee appeared on the television shows Little Big Shots and The Ellen Show, and he starred in the musical School of Rock. At eight years old he taught himself how to play.[1] He became a global sensation after playing guitar at B.B. King's Blues Club in 2015, when he was ten years old.

Career

Toby Lee posted a tribute video to B.B. King when he was 10 years old.[2][1] The video went viral and Lee developed a following. After he gained a following on YouTube and on Facebook his career began to take shape.[3][4] Toby Lee has had 350 million views on YouTube.[5] Lee is now sponsored by Gibson Guitars.[6]

In 2016, he played Zack in School Of Rock at the New London Theatre.[7][8] In 2017 he performed the blues with Ronnie Baker Brooks at the Blues Heaven Festival in Denmark, and the video amassed over 115 million views on Facebook within a year.[9][10] In 2019, Lee played with Joe Bonamassa at the Royal Albert Hall.[11][12] Lee is playing on an upcoming Peter Frampton album.[13]

Joe Bonamassa has called Toby Lee "a future superstar of the blues".[13] Many refer to him as the "future of the blues".[14] He performed on the 2024/25 edition of Jools' Annual Hootenanny.[15]

Awards

• Young Blues Artist of the Year at the UK Blues Awards (2018)[1]

Albums

• EP "10" (2017)[16]
• Aquarius (2021)
• Icons Vol. 1 (2022) – covers album
• House on Fire (2024)

References

1. Hunt, Luanne. "Blues prodigy". vvdailypress. GateHouse Media, LLC. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
2. Bernstein, Scott. "Video: 10 Year Old Toby Lee B.B. King Tribute". jambase. JamBase Inc. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
3. Eccleston, Ben (4 February 2015). "Guitar hero: Kenilworth schoolboy ready to rock the world". Coventry Live. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
4. Perring, Rebecca (5 February 2015). "Watch: 10-year-old schoolboy guitarist racks up celebrity fans after becoming YouTube star". Express. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
5. "Denmark's High Caliber Blues Heaven Festival Nov 1-2". bluesfestivalguide.com. Blues Festival Guide Magazine. 25 October 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
6. "Gibson is back with a vengeance …". guitargirlmag. Low Group Inc. 31 July 2019. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
7. Ellis, David (6 December 2016). "The Standard gets taught a lesson by School of Rock star". Standard Go London. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
8. "Musical star from Princethorpe College scoops Olivier Award". Rugbyadvertiser. JPIMedia Publishing Ltd. 10 April 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
9. "Toby Lee (12) sitting in with Ronnie Baker Brooks @ bluesheaven.dk in Frederikshavn, Denmark". Facebook. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
10. "Millions marvel at Oxfordshire 12-year-old's superstar guitar skills". Newsquest Media Group Ltd. Oxford Mail. 30 November 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
11. Van der Linden, Nils (26 April 2019). "Joe Bonamassa Is Deep In The Blues Again At The Royal Albert Hall". rockshotmagazine. Elegant Themes. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
12. Kennedy, Adam. "Joe Bonamassa at the Royal Albert Hall". nationalrockreview. National Rock Review. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
13. Fessier, Bruce (7 April 2019). "Lukas Nelson, Buddy Guy and Toby Lee, 14, lead shred fest at Garden Jam, Indian Wells". Palm Springs Desert Sun. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
14. "12-Year-Old Toby Lee Proves the Future of The Blues is Intact". Tvovermind.com. TV Over Mind. 14 December 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
15. "Jools Holland's Annual Hootenanny 2024 - Meet the line-up and find out how to watch on TV and BBC iPlayer". BBC Media Centre. BBC. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
16. Hernandez, Orl; Williams, Chad. "Toby Lee". fhrradio. FHR World Entertainment Network. Retrieved 13 September 2019.

External links

• Official website