Tommy Emmanuel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tommy Emmanuel
Emmanuel in Berlin, September 2024
Background information
Birth name	William Thomas Emmanuel
Born	(1955-05-31) 31 May 1955 (age 70) Muswellbrook, New South Wales, Australia
Genres	Jazz, pop, rock, country
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Guitar, vocals
Years active	1962–present
Labels	Sony, Columbia, Favored Nations
Associated acts	Southern Star Band, John Farnham, Dragon, Jerry Reed, Chet Atkins, Martin Taylor, Hank Marvin, Gabriella Quevedo

Tommy Emmanuel (born May 31, 1955) is a famous Australian guitarist. He used to play guitar for many bands. Now, he makes his own music and has won many awards. In 2010, he received a special honor called the Order of Australia. In 2011, he was added to the Australian Roll of Renown for his great music. MusicRadar called him the best acoustic guitarist in the world in 2019.

Tommy's Early Life and Music Career

Tommy Emmanuel was born in 1955 in Muswellbrook, Australia. He was one of six children. He got his first guitar in 1959 when he was four years old. His mother taught him to play so he could join her when she played the lap steel guitar.

In 1961, when Tommy was six, he heard Chet Atkins playing on the radio. This moment really inspired him to become a musician. By age six, he was already a professional musician. His father saw how talented Tommy and his older brother, Phil Emmanuel, were. So, he started a family band. They sold their house and traveled all over Australia. Tommy spent most of his childhood touring and playing guitar. He rarely went to school.

After his father died in 1966, a country music star named Buddy Williams invited the Emmanuel brothers to tour with him. Tommy recorded several albums with Buddy Williams in the early 1970s. Later, the family settled in Parkes. This was because the New South Wales Department of Education wanted the children to go to school regularly.

Becoming a Star in Sydney

As a teenager, Tommy moved to Sydney. He became well-known after winning many talent contests. In the late 1970s, he played drums with his brother Phil in a group called Goldrush. He also played guitar for many albums and commercials.

He became even more famous as the lead guitarist for the Southern Star Band. This band played for singer Doug Parkinson. From 1986 to 1988, and again in 1995, Tommy joined the rock band Dragon. He toured a lot with them, including a tour with Tina Turner in 1987. He left Dragon to start his solo career.

In 1994, famous Australian musician John Farnham asked Tommy to play guitar for the Concert for Rwanda. Tommy had played in Farnham's band before, in the early 1980s. He also played on Farnham's album Uncovered. He rejoined Farnham's band after the 1994 concert.

In 1999, Chet Atkins called Tommy a "fearless" fingerpicking guitar player. Chet Atkins gave Tommy and three other guitarists a special award. It was called the "Certified Guitar Player" title.

Tommy and his brother Phil played live at the closing ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Sydney in 2000. About 2.85 billion people watched this event around the world.

Later Years and Achievements

In December 2007, Tommy had some heart problems. He had to take a break from touring because he was very tired. But he started touring again in early 2008.

In June 2010, Tommy received the Order of Australia (AM). This is a high honor in Australia.

In 2011, at an event called 'TommyFest', Tommy talked about his strong Christian faith. He told the audience, "The Lord is my shepherd, so I lack nothing—it's true!"

In 2012, Governor Steve Beshear gave Tommy the special title of Kentucky Colonel in Kentucky, USA.

In 2009, he worked with other Australian artists like Ray Burgess and John "Swanee" Swan. They released a song together called "Legends of the Southern Land".

During a concert in July 2019, Tommy shared that he had recently become an American citizen.

Tommy's Unique Guitar Style

Emmanuel's fingerstyle technique was featured at a June 2006 performance at City Stages in Birmingham, Alabama

Tommy Emmanuel has said that he was always amazed by Chet Atkins's guitar style. This style is sometimes called Travis picking. It means playing bass lines, chords, melodies, and harmonies all at the same time. He uses his thumb and fingers on his right hand to do this. This creates a wide range of sounds from his guitar.

Tommy's playing includes many types of music. These include jazz, blues, bluegrass, folk, and rock. But his country finger-style playing is the main part of his technique. Tommy has never had formal music lessons. He cannot read or write music. But his natural talent, sense of rhythm, and charm have won him fans worldwide.

When he plays alone, he never uses a set list of songs. He also uses very few effects on stage. He usually records his studio songs in just one try.

His Guitars and Playing Techniques

Emmanuel uses a snare-drum brush to emulate the sound of a percussion kit

In his solo shows, Tommy mainly plays guitars made by Maton. This is an Australian guitar company. He usually travels with two custom Maton EBG808 TE models and one TE1 model. Both of these are special Tommy Emmanuel signature guitars. He has played Maton guitars for most of his career. He is like an ambassador for the company because of his long connection with the brand.

Tommy's guitars often look old and worn. This is because he plays with a lot of energy and uses percussive techniques. For example, in one of his famous performances, he hits the body of the guitar in different places. He uses his hands or a drummer's snare-drum brush. This makes the guitar sound like a drum set.

Tommy usually keeps one Maton EBG808 in standard guitar tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E). He tunes his second Maton EBG808 to D-G-D-G-B-E (G6 tuning). His TE1 is tuned to C♯-F♯-B-E-G♯-C♯. This allows him to quickly change tunings during a show. He just swaps guitars instead of spending time re-tuning one.

Tommy often wraps his left thumb around the guitar neck to play some notes. This is different from how classical guitarists play. But it is common for jazz and country guitarists. He often plays common three-finger chords with only two fingers. He uses a thumbpick, a flat pick (plectrum), his fingers, or a mix of these. This style is called hybrid picking.

He also has a special technique that makes an acoustic guitar sound like an electric guitar's tremolo system. He presses the palm of his right hand against the sound board near the neck. At the same time, he pushes forward with his left hand on the top of the headstock. This slightly bends the guitar neck. This changes the pitch of the strings to create the sound he wants.

Who Inspired Tommy Emmanuel?

When Tommy was young in Australia, he wrote to his hero Chet Atkins in Nashville, Tennessee. Eventually, Atkins wrote back. He encouraged Tommy and invited him to visit anytime.

In 1997, Tommy and Atkins recorded an album together called The Day Finger Pickers Took Over the World. This was Atkins's last album. Tommy and Atkins also appeared together on 'Country Christmas' in late 1997. Atkins said about Tommy: "He is one of the greatest guitar players I've ever seen." Atkins even gave Tommy the guitar that Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith used to record "Guitar Boogie." This song is a very important blues guitar performance. Tommy often plays it in his shows.

In July 1999, Chet Atkins gave Tommy a "Certified Guitar Player" award. Chet personally gave this award to only four guitarists. This award is famous because Atkins himself, a very respected guitar player, gave it out. The award says: "In Recognition of His Contributions to the Art of Fingerpicking." Tommy plays at the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society (CAAS) every July in Nashville.

Besides Chet Atkins, Tommy has said that he and his brother Phil Emmanuel were inspired by Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch. They were from the band the Shadows.

Tommy Emmanuel's Music Albums

Tommy Emmanuel has released many albums throughout his career. Here are some of his well-known works:

Awards and Honors for Tommy Emmanuel

Tommy Emmanuel has won many awards for his amazing guitar playing and music.

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards (Australia) celebrate great composing and songwriting in Australia.

ARIA Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are Australia's biggest music awards. They recognize the best in Australian music.

Australian Roll of Renown

The Australian Roll of Renown honors Australian and New Zealand musicians. These artists have made a big and lasting impact on Country Music.

Country Music Awards of Australia

The Country Music Awards of Australia (CMAA) are also known as the Golden Guitar Awards. They celebrate great country music in Australia.

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are famous awards that recognize achievements in the music industry.

Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards recognized achievements in live entertainment.

Lifetime Achievement Award

In 2023, the National Guitar Museum nominated Tommy Emmanuel for its annual "Lifetime Achievement" Award.

See also

In Spanish: Tommy Emmanuel para niños