“I was close to being kicked out of school. A therapist suggested guitar playing would help me with my behavior and grades…”: Peruvian shredder Charlie Parra had an unlikely path to success – but Eddie Van Halen was always his guiding light

Charlie Parra performs live with an EVH-inspired Kramer

Given his confidence and prowess, you'd never imagine that Lima, Peru native Charlie Parra only stumbled upon the guitar to tame his unruly behavior.

"A school therapist suggested to my family that playing would help me with my behavior and grades as I was close to being kicked out of school," Parra tells Guitar World. "I was 14 then and already played the cajon [a Peruvian percussion instrument). But soon, I started to focus on playing guitar, and it went from there."