TOMMY: Virtuoso guitarist Tommy Emmanuel comes to the State Theatre New Jersey on September 8. (Photo by Simone Cecchetti)

State Theatre New Jersey presents Tommy Emmanuel, CGP, on Friday, September 8 at 8 p.m. Opening the show are special guests Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams. Tickets range from $29-$224.

The “CGP” of Emmanuel’s title stands for “Certified Guitar Player,” an honor bestowed upon him by his hero, Chet Atkins. Emmanuel is known for his ability to play three parts at once. In 2018, Emmanuel made the album, Accomplice One, a series of duets with musicians including Rodney Crowell, Mark Knopfler, Amanda Shires, Jason Isbell, Jerry Douglas, Jake Shimabukuro, and others. The sequel, Accomplice Two, also boasts a range of artists.

The first single, “White Freight Liner Blues,” is out now and features the Grammy Award-winner and claw hammer guitarist, Molly Tuttle. Emmanuel also has a new television special called Accomplice LIVE! which began airing on PBS in March of 2023.

Emmanuel was born in 1955 in Muswellbrook, New South Wales, Australia, and started playing the guitar at age 4. In his 20s, he was the most sought-after performer and session musician in Sydney. By age 30, he was playing electric guitar with several rock bands in stadiums across Europe. Instead of living the rock star life, Emmanuel went acoustic.

The inspiration for Emmanuel’s transformation was his Atkins, who represented the purity of one man, one guitar, and unlimited passionate for serving the song. Eventually Emmanuel met his hero and started a lifelong friendship which shaped Emmanuel’s music forever. They recorded an album together.

Multi-instrumentalist-singer-songwriter Larry Campbell and singer-guitarist Teresa Williams released their eponymous debut in 2015. The release came after seven years of playing in Levon Helm’s band — and frequent guesting with Phil Lesh, Little Feat, Jorman Kaukonen, and Jack Casady.

The State Theatre is at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick. Visit Stnj.org for tickets.