Alex Warwick, of Leicestershire, is a global superstar – but chances are, you've never heard of him.

Some 1.2 million people from all corners of the world have watched him drum, and he has made more than 100 videos which are downloaded from the internet 1,000 times a day.

Alex has found fame on the video sharing website YouTube.

In fact, he has only ever met the other members of his cyberspace Genesis tribute band, iGenesis, once.

They record all their videos separately before the bits are edited together online.

Alex – a married dad-of-two and strait-laced business manager from Frisby on the Wreake – has been uploading videos of his drumming to classics by The Police, Genesis and Dire Straits on to YouTube since 2007. He said he has been shocked by his popularity.

He said: "I noticed that drummers were putting videos drumming along to their own music and thought, 'I can do that'.

"I posted four videos on YouTube and got an amazing reaction, so started posting videos almost weekly.

"I've got more than 100 videos which have been looked at more than a million times. I get 1,000 hits every day and there are fans around the world who are always waiting for the next video and asking me what I've just finished. My kit is quite sophisticated now, so I can record the drums and mix the levels on my computer. The sound quality is much clearer than when I started.

"The most popular has been Message in a Bottle, by The Police, which has had something like 60,000 hits."

A couple of years ago, Alex's online popularity led to an approach from American keyboard player Cyrus Rua, asking if he wanted to be in the Genesis tribute band. Singer is Canadian Ron Belgard.

Alex said: "We released the first video in February, and have managed to produce five now for YouTube, which have received a rapturous round of applause."

A 47-year-old civil engineer by trade, in his day job Alex co-manages Nicholls Colton, a civil engineering consultancy with 60 staff in Frog Island, Leicester.