Bron: May 31, 1955

Origin: Muswellbrook, New South Wales

Genres: Acoustic / World

Instrument: Guitar

Year active: 1962 - present

Biography

Tommy was born in the New South Wales town of Muswellbrook in the Upper Hunter. He began to play guitar at the age of 4 and by the age of 5, was a working professional musician, as much of his childhood was spent touring Australia with his family band, playing rhythm guitar.

When his father died in 1966, he started to give guitar lessons at the tender age of 12. He first came to be noticed nationally when he won a string of talent contests in his teen years, and by the late 1970s, he was playing with his brother Phil in the group Goldrush. During the early 1980s, he joined the reformed lineup of leading '70s rock group Dragon, touring widely with them, including a 1987 tour with Tina Turner, before leaving to embark on a solo career.

While Tommy has never had formal music training, his prodigious playing ability has won him fans from all over the world. As well as being a renowned professional guitar player, he is also a professional percussionist, and has been known to play percussion parts on the body of his guitar.

1994 saw Tommy as a member of the John Farnham Band. Australian music veteran John Farnham invited him to play guitar next to Stuart Fraser from Noiseworks for the Concert For Rwanda.

In July 1999, at the 15th Annual Chet Atkins Appreciation Society Convention, Chet presented Tommy with a Certified Guitar Player award, an honour bestowed on only two other guitarists (besides Atkins himself) - "In Recognition Of His Contributions To The Art Of Fingerpicking".

One of his career highlights was his live performance at Sydney when he played on the closing ceremony of the Summer Olympics in 2000. 1 billion people watched this event, which was shown worldwide.

He tours around the world, frequently playing in small venues. His concerts are extremely popular with his dedicated fans, much due to his powerful and energetic stage presence.

Tommy released the DVD "Live At Her Majesty's Theatre, Ballarat, Australia" July 11th, 2006.

Tommy's latest album, "The Mystery," was released August 22, 2006. His song "Gameshow Rag/Cannonball Rag" from this CD won "Instrumental of the Year" at the 35th Country Music Awards held at the Tamworth Country Music Festival on Saturday the 27th January 2007 and also was nominated that year for a Grammy for "Best Country Instrumental Performance".

Discography

2006 The Mystery

2005 Live One

2004 Endless Road

2001 Greatest Hits

2000 Only

1998 Collaboration

1997 The Day Finger Pickers Took Over The Wolrd (With Chet Atkins)

1997 Midnight Drive

1996 Can't Get Enough

1995 Classical Gas

1995 Initiation

1994 Back on Azubazi

1993 The Journey Continues

1993 The Journey

1992 Ditermination

1990 Dare To Be Different

1987 Up From Down Under

1979 From Out Of Nowhere