ONE of the greatest guitarists in the UK is making his way to Basingstoke for an exciting show.

Guitarist Tommy Emmanuel is at The Haymarket on Sunday, February 27 and he will be joined by special guest Jerry Douglas.

Tommy has achieved enough musical milestones to satisfy several lifetimes.

At the age of six, he was touring regional Australia with his family band.

By 30, he was a rock ‘n’ roll lead guitarist burning up stadiums in Europe. At 44, he became one of five people ever named a Certified Guitar Player by his idol, music legend Chet Atkins.

Today, he plays hundreds of sold-out shows every year from Nashville to Sydney and London.

His approach to music is always song and emotion first, and his music is most known for the embodiment of his soulful spirit, sense of hope, and his love for entertaining.

He said: “The joy is there always because I’m chasing it through music. Seeing the surprise in peoples’ eyes is worth living and working for.

“I can’t help but play to the people with all my heart, which is overflowing with joy of being in that moment that I’ve worked all my life for. And here it is.”

Special guest for this tour is dobro master Jerry Douglas, a winner of multiple Grammy Awards and feature player in the Alison Krauss band.

He is billed as a ‘fantastically versatile and inventive instrumentalist’ with his ‘distinctive bluegrass style securing his status as an American musician’.

He found fame for his part in numerous different acts but stands out as a soloist.

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Emmanuel’s current album, The Best of Tommysongs, is a double album that features some of his best original songs, all solely written, produced and recorded by Emmanuel.

He added: “When I was a kid, I wanted to be in show business. Now, I just want to be in the happiness business. I make music, and you get happy. That’s a good job.”

Tickets for Tommy Emmanuel are priced at £41.50, £36.50, £31.50 (includes £4 booking fee). Contact the Anvil Arts box office on 01256 844244. Go to, anvilarts.org.uk for more.

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