When a quiet, silver-haired man carrying a guitar walked onto the America’s Got Talent stage in 2023, few people expected what came next. The judges leaned back, the audience waited politely. Then he struck the opening chords of Queen’s We Will Rock You — and the atmosphere shifted instantly.

You could almost see 25 years melt off him as he played. What began as a simple rhythm turned into a storm of tapping, bending, and soaring runs, delivered with the kind of joy that can’t be faked. By the final note, the crowd was on its feet, the judges exchanging looks of disbelief.

Before television ever noticed him, John Wines had spent decades living a different life. He worked as an electrician in Dorset, England, before a chance meeting with a guitar teacher pushed him toward music. He retrained, began teaching, and eventually became a fixture in local schools, guiding students through their first chords and solos. His lessons were light-hearted but disciplined — he liked to remind his students to “turn it up, not down.”

Offstage, Wines had quietly built a following online. Under the name Old Grey Guitarist, he began posting short videos — sharp, soulful guitar interpretations of classic rock songs mixed with dry humour. Without any major push, his following grew into the millions across TikTok and Instagram.

At 59, he decided to step onto one of the biggest talent stages in the world. On AGT, he looked every bit the gentle music teacher — until the first power chord hit. The audience roared. The judges smiled, then laughed, then simply listened. His wife watched from the wings, calm and proud, as the performance unfolded. For her, it was another day seeing what he did best.

Wines advanced to the semifinals, where he delivered a fast, intricate version of Misirlou from Pulp Fiction. The performance impressed again, but the season was fierce and he didn’t reach the finals. His audition clip, however, has now been viewed nearly five million times on YouTube — a number that continues to grow.

Since the show, he’s returned to teaching and creating music content. He collaborates with guitar brands such as D’Addario and records performances in unusual locations — one popular clip shows him playing a Led Zeppelin solo outside Jimmy Page’s former home.

John Wines’ story isn’t about overnight fame; it’s about decades of craft meeting the right moment. His performances remind audiences that experience and passion don’t fade with age — they deepen. And every time he plugs in that guitar, he proves that rock still has the power to stop a room cold.