William Thomas Emmanuel AM is an Australian virtuoso guitarist and occasional singer and songwriter originally from New South Wales known for his finger style technique.
Tommy had a musical upbringing, learning guitar from a young age and playing as a drummer in a group called Goldrush with his brother Phil. He moved on from this small project to become lead guitarist in The Southern Star Band who were the backing group for vocalist Doug Parkinson at the time and Emmanuel's reputation grew further. He then moved on to tour extensively with rock group Dragon, their schedule included a spell as a support act for the legendary Tina Turner. After this varied and exciting beginnings of his music career, the foundations were set for his solo career.
His solo endeavours were successful, he has recorded over twenty albums in his characteristic finger style guitar playing. His musical talents earned him the opportunity to work alongside artists such as Chet Atkins, Air Supply, Sir George Martin, John Denver, Eric Clapton and Doc Watson to name a few. His latest album 'The Colonel and The Governor' was released in 2013 and was a collaboration with Martin Taylor.
He is one of Australia's most celebrated artists, having performed at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. In June 2010 Tommy was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his services to music. Whilst In 2012 he was honoured on the other side of the pond due to his mastering of the "finger style" method of guitar picking. Therefore the Commonwealth of Kentucky awarded Emmanuel the Kentucky Colonel title, this is the ultimate honour awarded by the state.
Don Toliver
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