Minor busker, major talent

10-YEAR-OLD GUITAR PRODIGY LEO IS A GLOBAL SENSATION

- By ELLIOT HARTLEY

Leo is always accompanied by his dad, Mark

LEONARDO Patrick might only be ten years old, but his talent for the guitar has brought him worldwide fame.

The young busker has been a familiar face on the streets of Manchester city centre since he was just five years old.

With nearly two million followers across social media, the Old Trafford-born rising star features in videos playing to shoppers on busy Market Street.

With taste older than his years, he performs hits by artists including Elvis Presley, Eric Clapton, Nirvana, The Verve, and Oasis.

His popularity, with more than 220 million views on YouTube alone, has now stretched from their home of Greater Manchester to thousands of miles across the pond.

TV bosses have been in touch to offer appearances on shows such as America’s Got Talent.

But parents Charbella and Matthew Patrick say he’s more interested in having fun performing to passers-by, and ‘couldn’t give two hoots’ about his booming social media success, which they manage.

‘He’s been busking since he was five,’ Charbella, 41, said. ‘People assume that it’s forced. It couldn’t be any further from it.