Key Points
- Sam Ryder invited his former guitar teacher Kelvin Pratt to perform with him at Wembley Arena.
- Pratt, who taught Ryder when he was about 13, described the experience as a “dream come true.”
- Pratt played a guitar solo on Ryder’s song “Go Steady” in front of thousands at the venue.
- Ryder rose to fame during the Covid-19 pandemic with viral TikTok singing videos.
- He represented the UK at Eurovision 2022, finishing second, and recently released his second album, Heartland.
- Pratt is a veteran musician and teacher, having taught guitar for nearly three decades.
- Despite retirement, Pratt still teaches guitar and has seen many students succeed.
- Pratt had not been in contact with Ryder for about 22 years before the Wembley invitation.
- He praised Ryder’s exceptional talent and predicted a bright future for him as a “national treasure.”
What made Sam Ryder’s teacher Kelvin Pratt’s Wembley performance special?
As reported by the BBC, Kelvin Pratt, aged 66, who taught Sam Ryder guitar when Ryder was about 13, was invited to join his former student on stage at Wembley Arena in west London. Pratt described the performance on 6 November as “exhilarating” and “a dream come true.” Sharing the stage with Ryder gave him what he called a “boost in life.”
Pratt told the BBC,
“It’s always every musician’s dream to stand on a big stage and do the big stuff. I’m a musician of many, many years and played out at gigs, but to play at brent/wembley/">Wembley you have to be incredibly good or incredibly lucky, and I think I am in the latter of that.”
Who is Kelvin Pratt and how did he meet Sam Ryder?
Kelvin Pratt, originally from Maldon, Essex, is a seasoned guitarist and former music teacher. He started playing guitar at age 10 after being inspired by seeing Bill Haley on television. Pratt taught Ryder at a studio in Heybridge for about a year when the singer was a young teenager.
Pratt has a long career in music education, having taught at multiple schools, including Thurstable School in Tiptree near Colchester, over 29 years. Though retired from full-time teaching, he still gives guitar lessons to pupils.
He described Ryder as “a lovely kid” when he first started teaching him. Pratt said,
“He turned out to be one of the most fantastic entertainers.”
How did Sam Ryder rise to fame?
According to the BBC and other sources, Sam Ryder, 36, gained major public attention during the Covid-19 pandemic through his lockdown singing videos on TikTok, which attracted millions of views worldwide. His rising fame led to representing the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, where he secured second place with a standout performance.
Ryder has since released his second album, Heartland, consolidating his status as a prominent music artist.
What did Kelvin Pratt say about Sam Ryder’s career since he last saw him?
Pratt noted that he had not spoken with Ryder for about 22 years until receiving the invitation to perform together at Wembley. He expressed immense pride and admiration for Ryder’s achievements.
Pratt told the BBC,
“Sam has taken it to another level and I think he is going to be a national treasure.”
He added,
“Sam has obviously got that extra X-factor and gone that bit further.”
What is Kelvin Pratt’s background in music?
Pratt’s love for rock ’n’ roll began in his childhood after watching Bill Haley perform on TV. Over decades, Pratt played at various gigs around pubs and clubs, living his life as a dedicated musician.
In addition to his working years as a school teacher, Pratt has trained many guitarists who have gone on to teach themselves or perform semi-professionally. He said,
“A lot of my students have become teachers; a lot of them have played in bands and been semi-successful — as successful as I am, just going round the pubs and clubs, enjoying life.”
How did the Wembley collaboration come about?
The invitation to perform with Ryder at Wembley Arena came as a surprise to Pratt, who describes it as “incredibly lucky.” The collaboration took place during Ryder’s concert on 6 November, where Pratt played a guitar solo on the song “Go Steady,” thrilling the audience.
Pratt reflected,
“You never say never in this life because things do happen, but to think that my life would actually end up like that at Wembley is really a dream come true, and Sam made that possible.”
