Sam Ryder recently paid tribute to his first and only guitar teacher in the best way possible: by inviting him onstage to play at Wembley Arena.
Ryder, who was catapulted onto the world music stage when he finished as an unlikely runner-up for the UK during the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest, has become something of a modern day electric guitar hero.
During a show at London’s iconic Wembley Arena last Thursday (November 6), Ryder took a moment to honor his roots and brought out the man who put a guitar in his hands in the first place.
It was no cute cameo, though. While Ryder sang his own song Go Steady, his old teacher, Kelvin Pratt, took up position behind his black Fender Telecaster and helped close the track out with a show-stealing guitar solo.
“My first guitar teacher (never thought I’d see him again),” Ryder wrote on Instagram about the gig. “I asked him to come play a song with me at Wembley. Stoked.”
The heartwarming collab came after Ryder mentioned Pratt during a recent interview on ITV’s This Morning. Pratt’s daughter shared the clip with her father, who then set about contacting Ryder HQ.
He was invited to meet Ryder as a surprise at one of his shows – and the whole exchange was captured on camera. It was the first time they’d seen each other in 22 years.
It takes Ryder a beat, but he soon recognizes the man who helped him find his feet on the fretboard. Naturally, Pratt is full of praise for his former student.
“Im so proud of you and all you’ve done,” he says. “You’ve done so well.”
In the video, the pair reminisce over old lessons, sharing Ryder’s Taylor as they take a trip down memory lane. Pratt reared Ryder on a basic beginner diet of Green Day, Sum 41 and power chords.
Speaking to local news outlet Maldon Standard about the experience, Pratt says, “I spent the afternoon with him and watched the show, he asked if I would come to Wembley Arena.
“I thought he was joking, so I said of course I would,” he adds. “I am a bit too old to be a popstar nowadays, but it was a lovely thought of him to think of me after all these years.”
“It was daunting to start with, I’ve played lots of gigs over the years, to be honest I was a little nervous but as soon as he called me up, my years of experience kicked in, and I played.
“It was a fantastic experience, I felt wonderful, I wasn’t hell bent with nerves, I got on with the job. There is no way I can deny the fact it was fabulous, I will never forget, I am very privileged.”
It’s not the first time a contemporary guitar hero has paid such a tribute to their old tutor. In 2023, Sam Fender invited his childhood guitar teacher to play AC/DC hits onstage with Brian Johnson.
In related news, Ryder somehow stirred up controversy when he delivered an electric guitar-driven rendition of the British national anthem.
