Over the years, growing up in Australia

I was always aware of an amazing musician by the name of Tommy Emmanuel

Even as a kid, I knew that Tommy was one of the best guitar players in the world

Tommy started working as a proffessional musician when he was 9 years old

He, along with his family (his brother Phil is also a shit hot picker) toured Australia constantly with their family band

Tommy’s incredible gift and unique style has seen his popularity take off all over the world

He’s won just about every award there is to win

Including being nominated twice for a Grammy

I remember sitting on the floor of my apartment in Nashville, watching Tommy & his brother Phil, showing the world just how good they are

At the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics in 2000

One of the most prestegious things to happen in Tommy’s amazing career

And something that ANY guitar player would give their left nut for

Was a collaboration with the legend, and Tommy’s personal hero, CHET ATKINS

Not only did Tommy & Chet make some incredible music together

(The Day Finger Pickers Took Over The World is a staple on my iPod)

(I took this pic last week, from the wall of stars backstage before our show in Ayr. Where ever you go, you can bet Tommy has been there before – at least twice!)

In 1999 Chet awarded Tommy the honour of CERTIFIED GUITAR PLAYER

It is the highest accolade for any guitarist, and very few can claim to be a CGP

I have met Tommy many, many times over the years

And a lovelier man you will never meet

He is known throughout the industry as a really great bloke

And in a world top heavy with egos & self importance

Tommy has neither

I had the privilege of playing with him a few years ago in Chicago

Don’t worry, I just pretended to play, and let Tommy make my song sound beautiful

And yeah, it was a straight song

Tommy’s manger, Gina has been a great mate of mine for many years

We were even room mates in Nashville for a while

But that’s a whole ‘nother blog

This week, I learned from Gina that Tommy has just been awarded the THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA

It is:

An Australian society of honour for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service

Which basically means Tommy was presented with a medal, by order of the Queen of England, for his service in music to the people and youth of Australia

It is, ‘as good as it gets’

And I can’t think of another bloke more deserving

Congratulations Tommy

You make me proud to be an Aussie

I was going to say ‘Aussie Musician’

But I thought that’d be pushing it a bit

Well done mate!

 

*photos (stolen from) Gina’s facebook account

Back in April of 2006, the Beaconsfield Mine, in Tasmania, collapsed

17 people were in the mine at the time

14 got out straight away

One miner, Larry Knight, was killed in the initial rock fall

Larry was a husband, a Dad, and only 44 years old

2 other miners, Brant Webb & Todd Russell, were unaccounted for

Five days after the collapse, thermal imaging cameras & microphones found them

They were alive

Their location was hazardous for rescuers to reach, without risking another rock fall

Brant & Todd were trapped in the basket of a telehandler

Rescue workers worked tirelessly and slowly

In the meantime, the boys were given supplies through a small hole

Fresh water, food & communication equipment

Later, they were also given a digital camera, torch, clothes, magazines, deodorant & toothpaste

One thing they specifically asked for was an iPond

With music from the Foo Fighters & Dad, Kevin Bloody Wilson on it

Word got back to Dad that the boys had requested some of his stuff

He, along with the rest of the country, was glued to his TV, waiting for news on the rescuer’s progress

Shit, even in Chicago I was seeing it all unfold on CNN

The trapped miners wrote letters to their families from their ‘cage’ underground

Todd Russell, his sense of humour obviously still in tact, wrote to his wife Carolyn; “It’s not much of a room we have here”

He  also asked for the weekend’s newspaper, so that he could look for a new job

Funny fucker, no?

After 14, no doubt grueling, long nights, the rescuers finally reached Brant & Todd

At 5:58am, May 9th – TWO WHOLE WEEKS (that’s over THREE HUNDRED HOURS!!) after the collapse

Brant Web & Todd Russell walked out of the lift cage, unaided

They were greeted by the roaring cheers of the Beaconsfield crowds who had gathered outside the mine site gates

And their wives & kids were waiting there too, their nightmare finally over

The death of Larry Knight is such a tragedy

But those two blokes walking out of that hole in one piece, is as much of a miracle as I’m ever likely to see

For them, it was a happy ending to a horror story

The boys went on to write a BOOK about their ordeal

They got to meet the Foo Fighters

AND have the Foo Fighters write a song about them

And something else cool about this story?

Dad made a new friend

Who we get to catch up with whenever we come to Tassie

Todd & his wife Carolyn (above in the middle) are just seriously lovely people

And yeah, he really IS a funny fucker