Tommy Emmanuel

About

Tommy Emmanuel is a legendary Australian guitarist whose professional career spans nearly five decades and continues to intersect with some of the finest musicians throughout the world. After making a name for himself as a session player and lead guitarist with various well-known Australian bands like the Bushwhackers, John Farnham, Dragon, and Air Supply, Emmanuel embarked on a multi-platinum career as a solo instrumentalist in the early 90's. Emmanuel's musical style is characterized by complex fingerpicking, harmonics, and percussive effects.

The technique, known as fingerstyle, was primarily influenced by Nashville guitar master and producer Chet Atkins. The 54 year-old Emmanuel has been nominated twice for Grammys (2005 & 2007) and lives and teaches on the road, playing over 300 acoustic shows a year for the last five years. This year, for the second time, he was named Best Acoustic Guitarist in Guitar Player Magazine's 2010 Readers' Choice Awards. Tommy's infectious joy and enthusiasm for excellence has inspired a whole new generation of guitarists around the world.