A 12-year-old boy from South London who learned to play guitar on a £5 instrument from Oxfam has performed on stage to more than 1,500 people. Phoenix Avona first picked up a guitar during lockdown at age seven when his mother, Fior, bought him the second-hand guitar. He quickly outgrew his lessons and has been entirely self-taught ever since.
From Oxfam to the Stage
Phoenix's renditions of classic rock solos by artists such as Guns N' Roses, Eddie Van Halen, and Eric Clapton have attracted attention from Marshall Amps and Lou Gramm, the frontman of Foreigner. His shredding solos have seen him perform at the O2 Islington with a Guns N' Roses tribute band, open the Hanwell Hootie festival on the main stage, and take part in a flash mob proposal.
Phoenix, from South West London, said: "I've played O2 Islington Academy with Guns to Roses – they are the biggest Guns N' Roses tribute band and they invited me to play with them when I was ten. I did the Grosvenor Hotel and played in front of an A-list footballer when I was nine. Then we got a contact from Marshall Amps who invited me to their HQ and gave me some Marshall amps – they gave me a silver jubilee stack of amps."
Self-Taught Journey
Phoenix began having lessons at age eight but soon found himself going solo. He told Sell Us Your Story: "I started in lockdown when I saw a £5 guitar in Oxfam. I've always loved musical instruments. I started having online lessons and my teacher said I had outgrown what he could teach me. It was mostly how quickly I could pick up songs and technical solos. So now I learn songs by ear. My favourite guitar solo is 'Sweet Child o' Mine.'"
With his mother's help, Phoenix set up social media accounts and quickly went viral. Fior said: "I was a bit reluctant at first, but I manage it for him." Phoenix added: "I said to mum that I love playing and I saw some other people doing it so we started posting videos. Within the first year I had my first viral video with 3.4 million views. The viral flash mob I was in has racked up over 20 million views across social media in three days – I've got lots of lovely comments saying that I made the flash mob. I think it was the best decision for me and mum to set up a page. Across all my social media I've now got 60 million views."
Recognition from Marshall Amps
His videos caught the eye of Terry Marshall, son of Marshall Amps founder Jim Marshall, and he was asked to play at Hanwell Hootie, a music festival in Ealing that celebrates Jim Marshall's connection to the area. Phoenix said: "It's the biggest festival sponsored by Marshall Amps – it was my debut singing with the guitar. Terry Marshall told me I was part of his family and he was so impressed. They are the biggest amp company in the world." Fior added: "When he watched Phoenix, he said to him he was the next generation – it's just overwhelming."
Tips for Young Musicians
Phoenix's advice to aspiring guitarists is to "learn what you're inspired by." He said: "Learn the songs that you love and you're passionate about – I wanted to learn all the songs I listened to in the car. I was doing something I enjoyed – learn what you love and what you're inspired by."
Looking ahead, Phoenix dreams of playing festivals and making a living from music. "When I'm older, I'd love to be able to play festivals and make a living off of that – that's all I want to do," he said.
