Tommy Emmanuel
Tommy Emmanuel |
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Tommy Emmanuel, CGP (born May 31, 1955) is an Australian guitarist, best known for his fingerpicking style. Throughout his career he has played with many notable artists including: Chet Atkins, Sir George Martin, Air Supply and John Denver.
Biography
Tommy was born in the New South Wales town of Muswellbrook in the Upper Hunter. He began to play guitar at the age of 4 and by the age of 5, was a working professional musician, as much of his childhood was spent touring Australia with his family band, playing rhythm guitar.
After his father died in 1966, he started to give guitar lessons at the tender age of 12. He first came to be noticed nationally when he won a string of talent contests in his teen years, and by the late 1970s, he was playing with his brother Phil in the group Goldrush. During the early 1980s, he joined the reformed lineup of leading '70s rock group Dragon, touring widely with them, including a 1987 tour with Tina Turner, before leaving to embark on a solo career.
While Tommy has never had formal music training, his prodigious playing ability has won him fans from all over the world. As well as being a renowned professional guitar player, he is also a professional percussionist, and has been known to play percussion parts on the body of his guitar.
1994 saw Tommy as a member of the John Farnham Band. Australian music veteran John Farnham invited him to play guitar next to Stuart Fraser from Noiseworks for the Concert For Rwanda.
In July 1999, at the 15th Annual Chet Atkins Appreciation Society Convention, Chet presented Tommy with a Certified Guitar Player award, an honour bestowed on only two other guitarists (besides Atkins himself) - "In Recognition Of His Contributions To The Art Of Fingerpicking".
One of his career highlights was his live performance at Sydney when he played on the closing ceremony of the Summer Olympics in 2000. 1 billion people watched this event, which was shown worldwide.
He tours around the world, frequently playing in small venues. His concerts are extremely popular with his dedicated fans, much due to his powerful and energetic stage presence.
Tommy released the DVD "Live At Her Majesty's Theatre, Ballarat, Australia" July 11th, 2006.
Tommy's latest album, "The Mystery," was released August 22, 2006. His song "Gameshow Rag/Cannonball Rag" from this CD won "Instrumental of the Year" at the 35th Country Music Awards held at the Tamworth Country Music Festival on Saturday the 27th January 2007 and also was nominated that year for a Grammy for "Best Country Instrumental Performance".
Emmanuel is a committed Christian since beating substance addiction two decades ago. He is married to fellow singer/songwriter Lizzie Watkins, with whom he tours.[citation needed]
Discography
- 2006 The Mystery
- 2005 Live One
- 2004 Endless Road
- 2001 Greatest Hits
- 2000 Only
- 1998 Collaboration
- 1997 The Day Finger Pickers Took Over The World (With Chet Atkins)
- 1997 Midnight Drive
- 1996 Can't Get Enough
- 1995 Classical Gas
- 1995 Initiation
- 1994 Back On Azubazi
- 1993 The Journey Continues
- 1993 The Journey
- 1992 Determination
- 1990 Dare To Be Different
- 1987 Up From Down Under
- 1979 From Out Of Nowhere