The boogie woogie is a music genre that originated in African American communities the 1870s. In the 1920s, it peaked in popularity, and the typical boogie woogie piano was played alongside other instruments, and sometimes even full bands.

Most people would say that the boogie woogie sounds similar to the blues, if you were to compare it to one genre – though it has a much more fun, fast-paced sound.

While the boogie woogie isn’t quite topping the charts today, there are still various artists who have made it their mission to keep this style of music alive. One of these is Tommy Johnson, who is quite literally known as “The Boogie Man”.

Tommy was given his title thanks to his incredible boogie woogie piano skills. This man can play, and he truly lives and breathes music.

There are some people who just have a natural gift for an instrument, and Tommy is one of them. Aged just four, Tommy taught himself how to play the piano, and was already performing live in front of audiences and on TV shows by the age of seven. By nine, Tommy even had a magazine feature to boast about.

The talented young boy grew up into a young man, and Tommy began to perform on cruise ships around the world.

During his career, he has been able to play alongside some of the biggest stars – and yet he still somehow manages to be humble! Speaking about his musical talent on Facebook, Tommy said:

“My intention is to take people of all ages on a magical musical tour where they can forget their everyday troubles and woes and find happiness for an hour or two either in concert or with my CD’s. I am eternally grateful for the gift given to me and I want to share it with you.”

And when you hear Tommy’s music, it’s easy to see that he’s certainly succeeded in his intention. His piano playing is lightning-fast, and the tunes he produces have an upbeat, toe-tapping quality to them.

The video that has really taken the internet by a storm is one of Tommy playing “Boogie Woogie Piano”, which has so far racked up more than 6 million views. It’s obvious why the video is so popular – Tommy is exceptional at creating rhythm with his piano alone. His fingers skim across the keys expertly, and he doesn’t play a note out of place.

Though the video was posted way back in 2007, people are still commenting to say they’re listening today. And every new listener can’t get enough. One person commented:

“I wonder what musicians like Mozart and Chopin would think of piano playing like this. Absolutely amazing!”

Someone else added:

“Sometimes I think I can play the piano then I watch a video like this and think I can’t.”

The fame hasn’t got to his head, either. Tommy still checks in with his virtual audience from time to time to let them know how much he appreciates them. He commented under his own video to say:

“Thank you guys so much for your comments! It brings a giant smile to my face to know that I can make somebody’s day a little brighter with the simple things that I enjoy. I love to hear from you all, no matter how big or small your comments are… they all mean so much to me.”

It’s clear music means a lot to Tommy, and we hope he continues to brighten people’s days with his boogie woogie piano playing for years to come. You can check out the popular video of Tommy in action below.

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Source: See It Live, YouTube, Tommy Johnson