Citizendia

Tommy Emmanuel

Background information
BornMay 31, 1955 (1955-05-31) (age 53)

Muswellbrook, New South Wales

Genre(s)acoustic/world
Instrument(s)Guitar
Years active1962 - present
WebsiteOfficial website
Notable instrument(s)
Maton TE Signature model

Tommy Emmanuel, CGP (born 31 May 1955) is an Australian guitarist, best known for his fingerpicking style and energetic performances. Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) Muswellbrook, originally known as 'Muswell Creek' is a town and Local Government Area (see Muswellbrook Shire Council) in New South Wales, Australia A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles Maton is an Australian manufacturer of Guitars and other Fretted Musical instruments Maton was founded in 1946 as the Maton Musical Instruments Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. A guitarist is a Musician who plays the Guitar. Guitarists may perform solo pieces or play with ensembles and bands of a wide variety of genres Fingerstyle guitar is the technique of playing the Guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips fingernails or picks attached to fingers as opposed to

Contents

Biography

Tommy was born in the Upper Hunter in Muswellbrook, New South Wales, Australia. Muswellbrook, originally known as 'Muswell Creek' is a town and Local Government Area (see Muswellbrook Shire Council) in New South Wales, Australia For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. He received his guitar in 1959 at the age of 4 - being taught by his mother to accompany her playing lap steel guitar. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles At the age of 7 he heard Chet Atkins on the radio. Chester Burton "Chet" Atkins ( June 20, 1924 &ndash June 30, 2001) was an influential Guitarist and Record producer He vividly remembers this moment and says it greatly inspired him. [1]

By the age of 9, in 1964, he was a working professional musician. Recognizing the musical talents of Tommy and his brother Phil, their father created a family band, sold the family home and took his family on the road. A musical ensemble is a group of two or more Musicians who perform instrumental or vocal Music. With the family living in two station wagons, much of Emmanuel’s childhood was spent touring Australia with his family, playing rhythm guitar, and rarely going to school. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Rhythm guitar is the use of a Guitar to provide Rhythmic chordal Accompaniment for a singer or other instruments in a Musical ensemble The family found it difficult living on the road; they were poor and were often hungry, never settling in one place. His father would often drive ahead, organize interviews, advertising and finding the local music shop where they'd have an impromptu concert the next day. Eventually the New South Wales Department of Education insisted that the Emmanuel children needed to go to school regularly. [1] [2]

After his father died in 1966, the family settled in Parkes. Tommy eventually moved to Sydney where he came to be noticed nationally when he won a string of talent contests in his teen years. [1] [3] By the late 1970s, he was playing drums with his brother Phil in the group Goldrush as well doing session work on countless albums and jingles. 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. Dragon is a popular New Zealand / Australian !--Don't remove either New Zealand or Australian without references see talkpage for discussion --> Rock band Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an eight time Grammy Award -winning American He left the group to embark on a solo career.

Throughout his career he has played with many notable artists including Chet Atkins, Eric Clapton, Sir George Martin, Air Supply, and John Denver. Sir George Henry Martin CBE (3 January 1926 is a British record producer arranger and Composer. Air Supply is a Soft rock Duo who had a succession of hits worldwide through the late 1970s and early 1980s John Denver (December 31 1943 &ndash October 12 1997 born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr

In 1994 he became a member of the John Farnham Band. John Peter Farnham, AO (born July 1, 1949) is a British-born Australian pop Singer. Australian music veteran John Farnham invited him to play guitar next to Stuart Fraser from Noiseworks for the Concert For Rwanda. Noiseworks are an Australian rock band that formed in Sydney in 1985

Tommy and his brother Phil performed live in Sydney at the closing ceremony of the Summer Olympics in 2000. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an International Multi-sport event, usually quadrennial organised by the International The event was televised worldwide. [3] When performing together the pair will sometimes share and play just one guitar with each having one hand free.

In October 2002 he was invited to perform the Australian folk song Waltzing Matilda at a service at the Washington National Cathedral held for the victims of the Bali bombings. "Waltzing Matilda" is Australia 's most widely known country Folk song, and has been referred to as 'the unofficial national anthem of Australia' Washington National Cathedral, whose official name is the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul is a Cathedral of The Episcopal Church. Over 80 Australians were killed by the terrorist attack.

Tommy tours the world, playing in both large and small venues. His concerts are extremely popular with his dedicated fans, much due to his powerful and energetic stage presence.

He is engaged to fellow singer/songwriter Lizzie Watkins, with whom he tours. [2] The couple make their home in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Late in 2007 he was diagnosed with heart issues[4] and was forced to take a break from his hectic touring schedule due to exhaustion.

Musical Style

Tommy has said that even at a young age he was fascinated by Atkins’ musical style – sometimes referred to as Travis picking – of playing bass with the thumb and melody parts with the first two or three fingers at the same time. Fingerstyle guitar is the technique of playing the Guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips fingernails or picks attached to fingers as opposed to This technique became the basis of Tommy's guitar style.

While Tommy has never had formal music training, his playing ability has won him fans from all over the world. He is known to play percussion parts on the body of his guitar. As a solo performer he never plays to a set list and uses a minimum of effects. [3] He usually completes recordings in one take.

He frequently uses his left thumb to fret bass notes on the 5th and 6th strings as well as playing chords such as Am and E with just two fingers. He uses a thumb pick mostly, a flat pick or just fingers.

His main guitar is a small-bodied custom Maton EBG808, that is fitted with a pickup and an internal condenser microphone, to which he has given the nickname "Mouse" due to its quieter volume unplugged but massive sound when plugged into an amp. Two of his three main stage guitars, notably his signature TE1 Maton dreadnought, are battered and worn on the necks and soundboards from his excessive playing and percussive techniques on them. He recently stated at a workshop during his annual festival, Tommyfest UK (2008), that all three of his stage guitars have been broken and repaired numerous times over the years.

Association with Chet Atkins

As a young man in Australia, Tommy wrote to his hero Chet Atkins in Nashville. Eventually Atkins replied with words of encouragement and a longstanding invitation to drop by to visit. [5]

In July 1999, at the 15th Annual Chet Atkins Appreciation Society Convention, Chet presented Tommy with a Certified Guitar Player award, an honor Atkins has bestowed on other guitarists. . [1] This award gains its fame from being bestowed by Atkins himself, a widely recognized leader in guitar music. The award states: "In Recognition Of His Contributions to the Art Of Fingerpicking. " Tommy performs at the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society (CAAS) in June each year in Nashville. [6]

In 1997, Emmanuel and Atkins recorded as a duo and released ‘’The Day Finger Pickers Took Over The World. ’’

Discography

Tommy Emmanuel in Wrocław, Poland in 2005
Tommy Emmanuel in Wrocław, Poland in 2005

Tommy released the DVD "Live At Her Majesty's Theatre, Ballarat, Australia" on 11 July 2006. Wrocław (Breslau Vratislav Vratislavia or Wratislavia Yiddish: ברעסלוי) is the chief City of the historical region of Lower Silesia Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) From Out of Nowhere is an album by Australian musician Tommy Emmanuel, released in 1979 Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) Up From Down Under is an album by Australian musician Tommy Emmanuel. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Determination is an album by Australian musician Tommy Emmanuel. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) The Journey is an album by Australian musician Tommy Emmanuel. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) The Journey Continues is an album by Australian musician Tommy Emmanuel. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Initiation is an album by Australian musician Tommy Emmanuel, released in 1995 Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Terra Firma is an album by Australian musician Tommy Emmanuel and his brother Phil Emmanuel Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Classical Gas is an album by Australian musician Tommy Emmanuel. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Midnight Drive is an album by Australian musician Tommy Emmanuel. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Midnight Drive is an album by Australian musician Tommy Emmanuel. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar The Day Finger Pickers Took Over the World is an album by renowned US guitar player Chet Atkins with Australian musician Tommy Emmanuel. Chester Burton "Chet" Atkins ( June 20, 1924 &ndash June 30, 2001) was an influential Guitarist and Record producer Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Collaboration is an album by Australian musician Tommy Emmanuel. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Only is an album by Australian musician Tommy Emmanuel. It is Emmanuel's first solo acoustic guitar release Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Endless Road is an album by Australian musician Tommy Emmanuel. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Live One is a live double album by Australian musician Tommy Emmanuel. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Happy Hour is an album by Australian musician Tommy Emmanuel and Jim Nichols Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Mystery is a Grammy nominated album by Australian musician Tommy Emmanuel. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

Awards

"Smokey Mountain Lullaby", a duet with Chet Atkins, was nominated for the 1998 Grammy award for Country Instrumental Performance but did not win. His song "Gameshow Rag/Cannonball Rag" won "Instrumental of the Year" at the 35th Tamworth Country Music Festival on Saturday, 27 January 2007,[7] and also was nominated that year for a Grammy for "Best Country Instrumental Performance". Events 98 - Trajan becomes Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. [8]

In the May 2008 issue of Guitar Player Magazine, Tommy Emmanuel was named as "Best Acoustic Guitarist" in their readers poll.

References

  1. ^ a b c d A Great Guitarist Comes Up From Down Under. Mark Pritcher interview. Accessed on May 7, 2008.
  2. ^ a b Country Music Online interview. Accessed on May 7, 2008.
  3. ^ a b c MusicFrisk interview. Accessed on March 13, 2008.
  4. ^ "Oz music legend Tommy Emmanuel falls ill", posting on 'Break Hollywood', December 2007. Accessed on April 04, 2008.
  5. ^ Just Jazz Guitar interview. Accessed on March 13, 2008.
  6. ^ Modern Guitars Magazine interview. Accessed on March 13, 2008.
  7. ^ Tamworth Country Music Festival website. Accessed on March 13, 2008.
  8. ^ Countrymusic. About website. Accessed on March 13, 2008.


External links

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