Gareth Pearson
Biography
It all started just before Christmas 2002, in Cwmbran, South Wales in the UK. Gareth put on one of his Dad’s videos of Tommy Emmanuel performing. Gareth recalls, “Tommy was playing Classical Gas, and from that very moment, I knew exactly what I wanted to be in life. Tommy changed my life”.
In 2004, the teenage guitar prodigy opened for Tommy Emmanuel and Johnny Dickinson in Cardiff. It was at this concert, Tommy in front of a stunned audience invited Gareth to the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society(CAAS) held in Nashville. The next night in Swansea, Tommy had Gareth play for Mark Pritcher, President of the CAAS, over his mobile phone in the dressing room.
But it was at The TommyFest held in Windsor, UK that will always stay in Gareth’s memory. He impressed so much during the open mic, that he was officially booked for the 2006 TommyFest. Also, it was at the Festival that Gareth was given his Maton Guitar as a gift by a fan and friend of Tommy’s, who was so impressed with Gareth’s playing, he thought it right that Gareth should have it.
Gareth’s influences are wide, ranging from guitarists such as Tommy Emmanuel, Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, Jerry Reed and others but his own distinctive voice is clearly audible in his own compositions. He clearly loves the music he performs and receives a rapturous response from audiences all over the world.
Discography
RECORDINGS
- Adrenaline Rush, Hard Road Recording 2007
Performance Reviews
"This 19-year-old from Wales is a phenomenally talented musician, making light work of exceptionally difficult pieces by people like Tommy Emmanual, Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed that few guitar pickers would consider attempting. His version of Reed's The Claw was staggeringly fast, and his take on The Jackson 5's I Want You Back was very clever indeed." - Bristol Evening Post (2007)
"I think he is a very wonderful young man, and he is very talented. He also has wonderful manners and does not have a big ego, and that is a quality that I've seen in all the true greats - they are humble men." - Eddie Pennington, recognized among his peers as one of the greatest living thumbstyle guitarists
"Gareth's innate sense of guitar technique is nothing short of amazing. But more importantly, his ability to communicate to an audience his joy of playing the music makes his performances a delight to watch." - Bob Evans
"Just 16 years old, the Welsh virtuoso puts on a fantastic display of Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed pieces and some Tommy Emmanuel covers." - The Guitarist
Gareth Pearson web site
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