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The story of Thomas Emmanuel, the man who put together his first band at age 11

"When I was a kid, I wanted to be in show business. Now I just want to be in the business of happiness. I'm doing music, and I'm getting happy. It's a good job!" - says Tommy.

Full biography of Thomas Emmanuel: early years, career, success

Tommy Emmanuel - Australian guitar virtuoso, master of a unique improvisational playing technique, two-time nominee for the Grammys... Already in 11 years old Tommy was an accomplished performance musician: he put together his first band with his younger brother on drums and sister on slide guitar... Baptising himself The TrailblazersThe guys started touring the country extensively! As early as 12 Tommy recorded his first record. Since then, he's released over 2-х thousands of recordings and 16 solo albums. In addition, Emmanuelle has participated in recordings of almost all the stars of the world stage! Except for the guitar, Thomas He plays banjo, mandolin, drums and percussion instruments, as well as sings, arranges and acts as a composer... This is the unique man we are going to talk about today!

Early years

Tommy Emmanuel
Tommy Emmanuel

Whenever you talk to any of his fans, be they musicians or regular people, they invariably talk about not one but two qualities that define greatness Thomas Emmanuel

The first is his extraordinary guitar playing. His playing is just marvellous! For something that does TommyIt would require three or more musicians. Who else, for example, when performing "Day Tripper." can put together a rhythmic part, dive into a riff and sing a melody all at once on one acoustic guitar? This brings us to another aspect of his music that is always mentioned and without which the former could not be so powerful or infectiously appealing: joy. Yes, that's right, joy! Because it's one thing to play these multi-dimensional arrangements flawlessly on an acoustic guitar. But to do it with a smile, with this evidence of genuine, unbridled delight, is an irresistible invitation to experience his music as deeply as he does.

"Joy," he says, "is always there because I chase it through music. Seeing the wonder in people's eyes is worth living and working for... I can't help but play from a heart that is overflowing with the joy of being in the moment that I've worked my whole life for!"

Tommy Emmanuel
Tommy Emmanuel

Although his expression is instrumental in nature, he approaches the guitar more as a vocalist, positively singing melodies through the strings. He lives in the melodies he performs, conveying every nuance and turn of phrase. His own songs are also always filled with lyrical melodies that go straight to the heart, such as his beautiful ode to his daughter "Angelina." or his great "story without words" "Lewis & Clark.

He was born in 1955 year in Maswellbrooke, AustraliaHe was one of six children in the family. His early years were uneventful, but by the age of four he had become a musician. His father, an engineer who loved music and musicians, brought home an electric guitar one day to learn how it worked. He took the instrument apart piece by piece to unlock its secrets. But Tommy and his brother were much more interested in music than mechanics, so when their father was at work, they would sneak off with a guitar... Partly driven by sibling rivalry, the children devised contests that were fun and extremely educational!

"We'd turn our backs to each other," Tommy recalled, "and Phil (brother) would play a chord and I'd have to tell him what the chord was, what notes were in it..."

It was a competition that influenced his entire career, exposing him to the rich internal architecture of songs. Although neither brother had formal musical training, this self-education quickly turned both into very sophisticated musicians. They assumed their father would be angry if he found out about their hobby, but they were wrong. He was surprised and thrilled that his sons could play music. Soon their older brother Chris was enlisted to play drums, and with his sister. Veronicawho played slide guitar, a family band was born! They called themselves The Emmanuel Quartet. But when people kept mistaking them for a classical string quartet, they changed the name to . The Midget Surfaries.

First serious steps and first losses

Tommy Emmanuel.
Tommy Emmanuel.

They entered a musical group competition and easily outlasted all the contenders to win the first prize of appearing on national television. On that show, they played "Apache." with such aplomb that the producer told their father he should take the band on the road. He agreed. Back home, he told everyone his plan: sell the house, buy a van and hit the road! It seemed like a dream, but it was true... What they didn't know was that their father had recently found out that he had a terminal heart condition and wouldn't live more than a year.

This lasted for six years. They were constantly on the road, except for a few periods when their father was too ill to tour and Tommy and his brothers picked fruit to earn some money. Tommy recalled that when his father's heart stopped, his mother grieved alone for a few hours and then came out to give them the choice of "living a normal life" or staying on the road. Of course they chose the road and signed up for a successful travelling show, which got them good jobs for a long time. But that came to an end when the Department of Child Protection again forced them off the road for alleged child labour violations.

"They forced us to go to regular schools," said the Tommy. But Tommy's normal life didn't last long. Although they had settled in a town not far from SydneyThe brothers quickly put together a small rock band that played in pubs, at parties, at weddings... One thing he learnt on the road and never forgot was that he loved to perform. And he was great at it!

Career

Tommy Emmanuel.
Tommy Emmanuel.

Over the years, the talent Tommy was expanding in all directions. В 30 years he played electric guitar with several rock bands in stadiums all over Europe. He could have continued to live the life of a rock star! Yet, he longed for something purer and closer to his heart... Discarding the reliable engine of the monstrous rock sound, Tommy switched to acoustics. Getting rid of everything but the essentials, Tommy found the perfect equation that led him to worldwide recognition. Although many scoffed that it was possible, Tommy as a lead guitarist recorded a series of hit albums and became a major star at first in Australiaand soon everywhere.

https://youtu.be/L_He4l49B0s

Who instilled the inspiration for the transformation Tommy? It was a legend. Chet Atkinswho represented Tommy the pinnacle of guitar playing... One man, one guitar and a boundless passionate song. Just like Dylanwho made the pilgrimage with from the Midwest to New Yorkto meet your idol, Woody Guthrie, Tommy always knew he had to get to Chet.

When he finally made the round-the-world journey to meet his idol in the Nashvilletheir connection was immediate! Chet picked up his guitar, and the two men joyfully jammed for hours. This started a lifelong friendship that shaped music forever Tommy. Chet welcomed Tommy to the rank of guitar knight, bestowing the coveted title upon him CGP (Certified Guitarist), an honour bestowed on only four other people.....

Conclusion...

Despite the fact that he has already dedicated himself to the life of a solo player, gaining love and respect Cheta lifted Tommy into another realm. Because, as Chet immediately realised and told the world, musicians like this don't come along very often, "pay attention to this man!" Of course, Chet knew what he was talking about. Triumph Tommy on his unusual solo journey was extraordinary. Thanks to Midget Surfaries he has become loved and respected all over the planet....

"When I was a kid, I wanted to be in show business. Now I just want to be in the business of happiness. I'm doing music, and I'm getting happy. It's a good job!" - says Tommy.

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