AKRON, Ohio — The legendary stage helped launch the careers of icons like Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson.
An Akron pianist is the latest winner of Amateur Night at the Apollo at the famous theater in New York.
Kofi Boakye started playing piano at age 8.
“I think it was something that allowed me to have that feeling of freedom,” he said. “And it was a freedom that I hadn’t felt before.”
Now, at age 23, he got to take his talents to a bigger stage by taking part in the Apollo competition.
“I was the only pianist and everyone else was a powerhouse vocalist,” he said.
His showmanship earned the crowd’s favor and votes to give him the top prize.
“For me to go up there and out-entertain all of them and win that $20,000 grand prize, those are the type of trails that I’m blazing right now,” he said.
He said his path to success wasn’t overnight.
“This is 10 years of hard work and consistent dedication to what I’ve been doing,” Boakye said. “And now people are finally starting to pay attention to it.”
Even combining his musicianship with acting for a role in the newly released Whitney Houston bio-pic, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”
“I’m the pianist for Whitney in the movie and did some of the music for it, so I’m really excited for it,” he said.
He said he has big plans for a future that includes lots of piano playing.
“I don’t really see myself stopping or having anybody stop me at this point,” he said.
And with each note, he said he’s another step toward achieving his dreams.
“I’m a person that’s flawed, and I’m striving to continue to thrive in the world as beautifully as I can,” Boakye said. “And I think every note that I play is a representation of that.”
