Kiko Loureiro’s school principal wanted him to see a psychologist, his mother got him an electric guitar
“The classical guitar was not enough,” said the guitarist.
Image: Gonzales Photo / Alamy
Former Megadeth member Kiko Loureiro recently shared a childhood story that quite possibly changed the trajectory of his guitar journey for good.
In an interview with podcaster Chuck Shute, Loureiro opened up about his struggles at school during his youth and how his mother’s response to that kickstarted his relationship with the electric guitar.
“At school I wrote a composition… They asked us to write a story, and I told a very aggressive story I think, you know… I think I was kind of describing a metal festival with loud guitars, the mud, the skulls, blood and all that,” said the guitarist.
“I was like 13 or 14, and then of course, the principal from the school asked my mother to go there for a meeting. She said, ‘Your son probably has a problem, you have to take him to a psychologist or something.’”
“And then my mother bought a guitar, an electric guitar. The classical guitar was not enough. My classical guitar teacher said to my mother, ‘Buy him a guitar. He’s into rock now.’ And then I went to start having lessons,” he added.
Loureiro also recalled his first guitar lesson, where his teacher played the riff in Led Zeppelin’s Black Dog, a display that inspired young Loureiro to practice: “It’s like ‘wow, that’s what I want’, you know. So from then on, I started practicing a lot.”
Watch the full interview below: