It's possible to learn piano without knowing how to read sheet music. Maybe he taught himself? I never said whether he could or could not, I just said that just because he plays piano doesn't necessarily mean he can read music. That's all.

The thread is going nowhere because we ended up on a different topic than the original one:

What defines virtuosic speed is around 200-220 bpm. I have never heard anyone play sixteenths at tempos faster than this beyond maybe a 4-8 note burst.

That's all. It was actually intended to dispel some of the myths that fly around about speed. Ha.

It's just funny that I'm being seen as this shred advocate--I'm usually the first person to rally to the defense of people like Angus Young and Jimi Hendrix in my own little circles of friends.