It takes a genius or a madman to do Ave Maria like this, but whatever the case, Tommy Johansson is one helluva singer! The former Sabaton guitarist sang a gorgeous classical version of Franz Schubert’s masterpiece, but you could tell things were going to get very weird when he plugged in a Charvel guitar and shredded a delicious harmonized metal solo. Johansson then brought the biffo big time with some chunky guitar riffs while continuing with his beautiful classical vocals.
The Music Man readers will definitely want to check out the series of unbelievable high notes that Johansson sings from 3:25 until the end of the song. There are very few people in the world who can sing like that, but for him to pair it with his mastery of guitar is really on another level. The Swedish rocker called his video the ‘epic version’ of Ave Maria, and we’re gonna have to agree with his assessment there!
Johansson has scored a number of hit videos on YouTube, and his unique take on Ave Maria was no exception, drawing 1.3 million views on the platform. Fans loved his interpretation of the song and showed their appreciation with comments such as “Truly, Tommy is just incredible! Tommy makes me cry when I hear Ave Maria. I’m a strong person but Tommy gets me every time” and “Dude! Are you for real?? I didn’t know what to expect when I clicked on this video, but you blew me away! Great singing and playing!”
Johansson is a real expert at blending classical elements with rock ‘n’ roll. Another song that shows off his skills in this area is his take on “Phantom of the Opera.” In this cover of the 1986 hit duet, Johansson sings both Christine’s and the Phantom’s parts. It’s quite the performance as few singers can manage one of those parts, let alone both. He also gives the song a rocking makeover in his melodic metal style, which adds a whole lot of power to the piece.
Tommy Johansson is a 37-year-old Swedish multi-instrumentalist who was born on October 26, 1987. A tenor vocalist, he played guitar and sang backing vocals for the power metal act Sabaton from 2016 to 2024. The Music Man readers might be interested to know that in 2024 he left the platinum-selling five-piece to focus on his own musical career. Johansson has recorded and played with a number of bands over the years, and currently has 296,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel.