Walsall man performs at Oscars after party in LA
From Walsall to LA, this shopkeeper was chosen to perform at an Oscars after party.
Bhupinder Kullar is an award-winning Bhangra artist, better known as 'Tubsy'.
The 45-year-old was 15 when he started performing internationally, and has since appeared on tracks with the likes of Mariah Carey.
Bhupinder was flown out to LA on February 24 and delivered a workshop to the stars.
He said: "I've been performing in the industry for over 35 years so I've made a bit of a mark and I've done collaborations with international artists.
"I've played on the same stage as Stevie Wonder and on a Mariah Carey track Love Sick."
Bhupinder runs a family shop on Dangerfield Lane and helps out part time in between charity work.
The father-of-three said he was about six years old when he first performed on a stage.
"I first went on stage at the local temple in Birmingham, as I lived there when I was young," he added.
"Then at the age of 14 I began to make a name for myself as a percussionist, it was a mix of having a traditional Punjabi family but being born and raised in the UK.
"At the time I was just doing what I love, then it soon became apparent this was something new and it was going to take off."
Bhupinder started playing concerts and by the time he was 15 he was flown to Kenya and performed in front of a crowd of 30,000 people with Malkit Singh, MBE.
He now performs with a band called The Live Experience, but travelled to LA alone.
He said: "I go into schools and deliver workshops for children, and I delivered that same workshop for the stars in LA.
"The actor Wesley Snipes was very good to me.
"We could have left our shop a long time ago but we're giving a service to the community and that is important to us."
