Michigan guitar prodigy Joe “LittleEdge” Heemstra, 13, shows off his instrumental prowess yet again in YouTube video, playing classic Pink Floyd solo
LittleEdge has BigTime talent.
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Just take a look at this recent YouTube video of 13-year-old Grandville guitar phenom Joe “LittleEdge” Heemstra playing the legendary “Comfortably Numb” solo by Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour to near-perfection.
It’s really nothing new for Heemstra, aka LittleEdge, who’s been wowing relatives, friends and fans for years as a prodigy on electric guitar.
Heemstra told me it took about seven hours of practice over 10 or 11 days to master the solo, often regarded as one of the most riveting in rock history.
“I’ve always liked that song a lot when I heard it on the radio,” said Heemstra, who enters 8th grade at Grand Rapids City Middle School in the fall.
I first met Heemstra a little more than a year ago, when the diminutive, then-11-year-old guitarist had the audience at Grand Rapids’ Festival of the Arts roaring with approval at his on-stage performance of a bevy of rock tunes, attracting a line of autograph-seeking fans after the show. (Read the column I wrote about him at the time here, along with another video.)
It’s been quite the journey for a kid who was given his first electric guitar at age 8. Inspired by the likes of Joe Satriani, Randy Rhoads, Slash, Yngwie Malmsteen and yes, U2’s The Edge, the son of Doug and Jeanine Heemstra has spent long hours honing his considerable skills.
Plenty have taken notice of his talents.
Already this this summer, Heemstra, who turned 13 just last month, has appeared at the Thursday night Downtown Holland Street Performer Series three times, setting up his battery-powered amp to “play a set of 16 songs or so” for passersby. On Labor Day, he’ll perform the Star-Spangled Banner prior to the West Michigan Whitecaps game at Fifth Third Ballpark.
Oh, and his next project? Learning Satriani’s gorgeous “If I Could Fly” … and there’s little doubt LittleEdge will pull it off with little trouble.
Email: jsinkevics@gmail.com