In honor of what would have been Chet Atkins’ 100th birthday today (June 20), Grammy® Award winner TOMMY EMMANUEL has released a newly shot video of “Mr. Guitar (Live).” It’s a song that TOMMY wrote in honor of the legendary and influential guitar pioneer.
Watch the video, filmed at TOMMY’s home outside of Nashville, TN and directed by Joshua Britt & Neilson Hubbard for Neighborhoods Apart, HERE. It was premiered yesterday (June 19) by The Bluegrass Situation.
The original studio recording of “Mr. Guitar” appeared on Tommy Emmanuel's 1997 collaborative album with Chet Atkins titled The Day Finger Pickers Took Over the World.
A live version the song, “Mr. Guitar (Live),” recorded in St. Louis, is featured as a live bonus track on TOMMY's album, Endless Road: 20th Anniversary Edition, released May 28, 2024.
There’s also a new version of “Mr. Guitar” that TOMMY recorded with Grammy-winning bluegrass fiddler Michael Cleveland. It appears on the multi-artist album WE STILL CAN’T SAY GOODBYE – A Musicians’ Tribute to Chet Atkins, released March 15, 2024.
TOMMY EMMANUEL is an acoustic guitarist extraordinaire, composer, and global touring artist. He is also one of five people ever named a C.G.P. (Certified Guitar Player) by Chet Atkins, the innovator, songwriter, producer, record company executive, and visionary.
“Mentoring and encouraging people is something that Chet always did,” TOMMY says. “I try to do this thing with Gareth (Pearson), and I try to do the same with all young people. I encourage them to do things that I learned from Chet. I hope that somewhere somehow, I showed somebody something because of him that changed their life and made their life better. Cause he sure did that for me.”
Read HERE for more about ENDLESS ROAD: 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION. Regarded as a landmark album within TOMMY’s body of work, Endless Road has now been newly remastered for digital outlets and is also available for the first time ever on vinyl.
TOMMY is also coming off a dynamic 2023. He released his acclaimed collaborations album ACCOMPLICE TWO to great acclaim and earned the “Lifetime Achievement” Award from The National GUITAR Museum.
Here are TOMMY’s North American tour dates for 2024. The full international list of dates is HERE.
DATE |
LOCATION |
VENUE |
Thursday, June 20 |
Boulder, CO |
Chautauqua Auditorium |
Friday, June 21 |
Aspen, CO |
JAS June Experience |
Sunday, June 23 |
Telluride, CO |
Telluride Bluegrass Festival |
Wednesday, July 10 |
Nashville, TN |
Grand Ole Opry |
Friday, July 12 -13 |
Nashville, TN |
Chet Atkins Appreciation Society Convention |
Wednesday, October 9 |
London, ON |
Centennial Hall |
Thursday, October 10 |
Toronto, ON |
Massey Hall |
Friday, October 11 |
Kitchener, ON |
Center in the Square (Kitchener) |
Saturday, October 12 |
Ottawa, ON |
Meridian Theatres |
Sunday, October 13 |
Montreal, QC |
Place Des Arts Maison Symphonique |
Tuesday, October 15 |
Fredericton, NB |
The Fredericton Playhouse |
Wednesday, October 16 |
Moncton, NB |
Capitol Theatre |
Thursday, October 17 |
Saint John, NB |
Imperial Theatre |
Saturday, October 19 |
Halifax, NS |
Rebecca Cohn Auditorium |
Thursday, December 5 |
Orlando, FL |
The Plaza Live |
Friday, December 6 |
Fort Myers, FL |
Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall |
Saturday, December 7 |
Clearwater, FL |
Bilheimer Capitol Theatre |
Sunday, December 8 |
Jacksonville, FL |
Florida Theatre |
Tuesday, December 10 |
Charlotte, NC |
Knight Theater |
Wednesday, December 11 |
Newberry, SC |
Newberry Opera House |
Thursday, December 12 |
Asheville, NC |
The Orange Peel |
Saturday, December 14 |
Charlottesville, VA |
The Paramount Theater |
Sunday, December 15 |
Hopewell, VA |
Beacon Theatre |