KPBS Previews TOMMY EMMANUEL And FRIENDS: LIVE 5/14

When guitar virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel throws a party for his talented friends, the result is musical magic. Local music lovers delighted in the once-in-a-lifetime concert which was taped at San Diego's historic Balboa Theatre in February. Tommy EmmaNUEL AND FRIENDS: LIVE FROM THE BALBOA THEATRE features an international cast of musicians. The television special will air on PBS stations nationwide in June 2011. However, San Diegans will have the first look on May 14th as the program debuts on KPBS-TV at 11 a.m. and repeats at 9 p.m.

Considered one of the finest acoustic guitar players in the world, Emmanuel is celebrating his 50th Anniversary as a performer. With a devoted following of fans, he tours the US and around the world.
Winner of dozens of awards in his native Australia and nominated for two Grammy Awards, Emmanuel has earned four Platinum and Gold albums and in 2010, was awarded the "Order of Australia," the highest award given to civilians.

For this special PBS concert, Tommy Emmanuel invited some of his favorite musician friends to join him on stage. Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Pam Rose performs two songs with Tommy, including her hit, "I'll Still Be Loving You." Frank Vignola and Vinny Raniolo join Tommy for a rambunctious set of swing jazz, ragtime and classics such as "What a Wonderful World." Then Tommy is joined by fellow Australian Anthony Snape for a set that brought down the house and included Anthony's new song, "Frequency."

KPBS produced the special in High Definition for PBS with KPBS Senior Producer Maura Daly Phinney and KPBS Director Donn Johnson leading the team. KPBS is a public service of San Diego State University, serving the region with TV, Radio and Internet content that is educational as well as entertaining-and free of commercial interruption.

Major funding for "Tommy Emmanuel and Friends: live From the Balboa Theatre" was provided by PBS viewers and Keller Williams Realty and its more than 80,000 real estate professionals in North America. Keller Williams Realty thanks its associates for their dedication to their communities and their commitment to helping clients pursue the American dream of homeownership.