Richard Smith in Concert, Mike McMillan Opens
Richard Smith is far more than an extraordinary fingerstyle guitarist—he’s a musician with an amazing story.
Tickets for the show are available at the door. Door donations:
ACMA Members/$15 General Admission/$20
Born in Beckenham, Kent, England, Richard picked up the guitar at the age of five after watching his father play an Atkins and Travis version of “Down South Blues.” His father introduced him to the world of fingerpicking, and Richard quickly became a remarkable young guitarist. By the time he was 11, he had already shared the stage with his idol, Chet Atkins, after Atkins invited him to play with him at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London.
Richard’s musical influences include Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, Django Reinhardt, Jerry Reed, Joe Pass and Big Jim Sullivan. His playing draws from an incredible range of styles, including country, bluegrass, blues, jazz, ragtime, folk, pop and classical music. His repertoire ranges from Great American Songbook standards and Scott Joplin rags to Bach, Tárrega, Barrios, traditional fiddle tunes, Beatles songs and his own original compositions.
After forming the Richard Smith Guitar Trio with his brothers Rob and Sam, Richard moved to Nashville in 1999 with his wife, American cellist Julie Adams. During his 25 years in Nashville, he became deeply involved in the city’s music scene and founded the Hot Club of Nashville, a group that combined gypsy jazz and western swing and featured musicians including John Jorgenson, Pat Bergeson, Bryan Sutton and Stuart Duncan.
Richard has performed and recorded with some of the biggest names in guitar, including Tommy Emmanuel, Chet Atkins and Les Paul, and has collaborated with musicians such as Joscho Stephan, Brent Mason and Martin Taylor. He has performed at major festivals including Merlefest and the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society Convention and continues to tour extensively throughout the United States, as well as in Europe and Asia.
His accomplishments include winning the National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas, in 2001. He was named Thumbpicker of the Year by the National Thumbpickers Hall of Fame in 2008 and 2021, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009, and has received the Golden Thumbpick Award from the Association of Fingerstyle Guitarists.
But awards and credentials only tell part of the story. Richard Smith is an entertainer as well as a remarkable guitarist, combining dazzling fingerstyle technique, percussive playing, musical versatility and an engaging personality into a performance you won’t soon forget.
Mike McMillan is a songwriter whose music is deeply influenced by the blues. Though he’ll tell you he’s still a student of the genre, his songwriting and guitar work have inspired many local musicians to start writing their own blues songs. But Mike’s talents don’t stop there his writing draws from folk, Americana, and roots traditions, creating songs that are honest, soulful, and full of heart.
Tickets for the show are available at the door. Door donations:
ACMA Members/$15 General Admission/$20
The Listening Room doors open at 6:30 pm and the concert begins at 7:00 pm