Tommy Emmanuel's professional career spans over forty-five years and continues to intersect with some of the finest musicians throughout the world. A household name in his native Australia, Tommy has garnered tens of thousands of loyal fans on five continents. Tommy's unique style - he calls it simply "finger style" - is akin to playing guitar the way a pianist plays piano.

Guitar legend Chet Atkins was one of the first people to inspire Emmanuel to pick up the instrument. Decades later, Atkins himself became one of Emmanuel's biggest fans. Chet and Tommy ended up recording together in 1996 on the CD, "The Day the Finger Pickers Took Over the World", which was nominated for a Grammy award. Sadly, this became Chet's last recording before his death in 2001. In 1999, Chet honored Tommy Emmanuel with the rare title of "Certified Guitar Player" for his lifetime contribution to the art of fingerstyle guitar playing, an honor shared by only two other people in the world (Jerry Reed and John Knowles).

In his storied career, Emmanuel has set sales records that have yet to be broken and performed with hundreds of musical legends including Chet Atkins, Eric Clapton, Sir George Martin, Hank Marvin, Joe Walsh, Stevie Wonder, Nokie Edwards (of the Ventures), Les Paul, Keith Urban, the Lexington (Kentucky) Philharmonic, the Dortmund (Germany) Symphony, and the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra.

Tommy Emmanuel is not only a very accomplished guitarist but also plays drums (on both a drum kit AND on his guitar!) and sings. The consummate musician was voted Rolling Stone (Australia) Magazine's "Most Popular Guitarist" for two consecutive years and has earned four Platinum and Gold albums.

In Australia, Emmanuel's music and life are legendary. He began playing guitar at age 4, learning to play by ear without any formal instruction. Emmanuel and his older brother Phil were child prodigies, starting their professional career in the 1960s. By the age of six, Tommy was already working as a professional musician.

Shortly after his father's death in 1966, the Emmanuel family were approached by Australian country music star Buddy Williams, who took the family on the road until they were forced by the Australian child welfare department to stop traveling. The Emmanuel children were then sent to a regular school. During these years, Tommy was playing in "the Trailblazers" (with siblings Chris on drums and Virginia on slide guitar) on weekends. He also taught guitar two nights a week and made numerous television appearances in music competitons. Emmanuel's first brush with fame and accolades came when The Trailblazers won two televised talent contests and produced an EP. He and his siblings worked hard to create the family's sole income for several years.

Flush with success, Emmanuel, now in his early teens, left home and moved to Sydney to pursue a professional career as a guitarist. Playing clubs all over the city, Emmanuel's guitar skills were on public display and did not go unnoticed for very long. He soon found himself in high demand as a session player for some of the era's most popular performers. During the mid to late 70s and the early '80s, he joined one of the decade's biggest, Dragon, recorded thousands of "jingles", and played on recordings for Air Supply and dozens of other popular artists. He also recorded sessions with Tiny Tim and Roberta Flack. In 1987, Dragon toured with Tina Turner on her "Break Every Rule" tour. With 15 recordings now under his belt, Emmanuel's boundless talent and indomitable skill consistently impress music critics and fans alike.

In 2005, Tommy played for the first time to new audiences in Korea, Poland and Croatia. Additionally, in 2006, he will perform for the first time to audiences in Slovenia and Belgium, along with addtional touring across the USA, Europe and Asia. His dazzling performances, flawless guitar skills and voluminous repertoire never fail to amaze audiences everywhere he goes. From the wilds of Australia's outback to gleaming metropolises all over the world, Emmanuel's flair and unforgettable showmanship have created an enviable fan base that continues to grow even larger every year.

Tommy Emmanuel's Website: tommyemmanuel.com