Earlier this year, the world lost one of its best guitarists when Phil 'The Whiz' Emmanuel passed away after an asthma attack.
To the music industry, Phil was always there when someone needed a hand and now some of Phil's friends and colleagues will come together in a memorial concert in Brisbane next month to pay tribute to their mate.
The concert, to be staged at The Tivoli Theatre 7 August, will be hosted by Phil's good friend and comedian Chris Franklin.
The evening will be a gathering of Aussie music icons that have shared the journey including Tommy Emmanuel, Doug Parkinson, Graeme Connors, James Blundell, Normie Rowe, Mick Pealing (Stars), Peter Cupples (Stylus), Doc Span (USA) and Judah Kelly (The Voice). The Fargone Beauties are also reforming for this concert with their original drummer – Tommy Emmanuel.
As expected, there will be wall-to-wall guitarists including Rex Goh (Air Supply), Mal Eastick (Stars), Tim Gaze (Tamam Shud/ Ariel/ Stevie Wright band), Phil Manning (Chain), Terry Murray (Fargone Beauties/ MMM) and China (John Paul Young and the Allstar Band).
Joining Phil's musical colleagues on stage, will be his daughter Jesse who has taken up the baton for the next generation of the talented Emmanuel family. It will be a bittersweet moment for Jesse, as the last time she graced The Tivoli Theatre stage it was in full, musical flight together with her father and her Uncle Tommy.
"Circumstances did not permit a public memorial for Phil at the time," concert organiser, Michael 'China' Walker (from John Paul Young's Allstar Band) says.
"So after the dust had settled, Mandy (Phil's wife) asked me if I could help put something together that would be fitting to publicly honour him.
"Once we started making enquiries about who might want to be part of this, the floodgates opened – everyone wanted to show the world what Phil meant to them and to be part of the send-off from his musical family."
All profits will go direct to Support Act.
