Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel to perform in London Nov. 28

Tommy Emmanuel will perform at First Baptist Church in London Nov. 28.

The Fine Arts Association of Southeastern Kentucky, Inc. presents Tommy Emmanuel, A Special Christmas Show, Saturday, November 28, 2015, 7:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church, London, KY.

Two-time Grammy nominee Tommy Emmanuel is one of Australia’s most respected musicians. With a professional career spanning five decades, he has garnered hundreds of thousands of loyal fans worldwide. His unusual talent and life are common lore in Australia:  born into a musical family, Tommy got his first guitar at age 4 and was taught by his mother. He quickly learned by ear, with no formal instruction, and has never read music.

By age 6 he was working as a professional musician in the family band (variously named The Emmanuel Quartet, The Midget Surfaries and The Trailblazers).  By the age of 10, Tommy had already played his way across Australia. In the 1970s, Tommy was in high demand as a session player and sideman: he played on recordings for Air Supply, Men at Work and dozens of other popular bands and artists, as well as thousands of commercial jingles and tunes. In the 1980s, Tommy finally met and got to play with his hero, Chet Atkins, in Nashville, TN.

From that magical moment forward, Atkins took him under his wing, and the influences are evident throughout Tommy’s music. Chet honored Tommy with the title of “Certified Guitar Player” (CGP) for his contribution to guitar music, a very rare distinction shared by only four other people in the world. Emmanuel averages over 300 live performances every year.

Individual tickets for the show can be purchased for $30 at the door. Students can purchase tickets for $10. For season membership information, call:
Barbourville: (606) 546-4601
Corbin: (606) 528-1354 or (606) 620-7952
Williamsburg: (606) 549-8213 or (606) 524-3091