Meet Tico, a very talented parrot (yes, you read that right!) who sings rock music. Accompanied by his dad, Frank Maglio Jr, Tico has been tearing it up on YouTube performing all the classic rock hits, including Free Bird, of course!
Tico and Frank live in the sunshine state of Florida, but when the recent health crisis, Frank, who has diabetes, was forced to self-isolate. Even though Tico had been living with him for 18 years, Frank had no idea he could sing.
One day, while he was strumming his guitar, Tico joined in, to the amazement of Frank and his wife. Although he can’t sing the words, he can match the tune perfectly. Frank knew how cut-off he felt being at home all the time, so he began to records duets with Tico to post on YouTube.
Since then, he has recorded dozens of songs, including Semi-Charmed Life, Here Comes The Sun, Stairway to Heaven and Dead or Alive. Tico doesn’t just sing; he performs like an absolute boss. He struts as proudly and flamboyantly as Jagger, which works perfectly with his colourful plumage. He shrieks and gives primal screams with a range that would make even Axel Rose jealous.
Frank is so confident of Tico’s abilities that he doesn’t even bother to rehearse beforehand. Frank just takes care of the technical side of the business and making the music. He explains, “I’m in the music equipment side of the industry, so I know how to play a lot of different songs.”
Frank is getting such wonderful feedback from viewers that he has no plans to slow down his uploads. People are always sending him thank yous and saying how much the performances brighten up their day at this dark time. It’s no wonder their channel already has 172,000 subscribers eager for more. To date, their most popular video is the wonderful Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles, but Psycho Killer and Stairway to Heaven have views in the millions too.
If you need to brighten your day or fancy busting out your air guitar, then check out the dynamic duo’s YouTube channel and subscribe for more brilliant man and parrot duets!