Stuie French Guitar Clinic

Stuie French Guitar Clinic

*** Purchase a ticket for BOTH the guitar clinic and Camille and Stuie Gig and receive a copy of Stuie's brand new Instrumental album on the day of the guitar clinic.

“He is by far the best electric player I've seen in Australia and most other places.
Redd Volkaert (Grammy Award Winning Guitarist).

Tasmanian-born Stuart ‘Stuie’ French got into the guitar at a young age, but he was all set to become diesel fitter until the desire to play music got the better of him.

“I used to leave Tassie and go to the mainland and do little tours playing lead guitar. I met a fair few musos in the country scene, and they all lived up Tamworth way, so I moved to Tamworth. As I got better known I started touring with acts like Troy Cassar-Daley and Gina Jeffreys. Then the construction site ran out of work, and I’ve been a full time musician ever since.”

His awesome technique and laid back style has been a star combination: in the last 20 years Stuie has worked with top country artists from Redd Volkaert, Troy Cassar-Daley, Gina Jeffreys, Slim Dusty and Lee Kernaghan to Beccy Cole, Leo Sayer and in September 2016 was asked by Tommy Emmanuel to be a tutor at his Australian guitar Camp. He’s even jammed with the legendary Merle Haggard.

‘He plays like ol’ Roy’- Merle Haggard (Merle Haggard and the Strangers)

Many of Stuie’s guitar heros are the great Americans: Django Reinhardt, Chet Atkins, Roy Nichols and Danny Gatton.

While Stuart keeps busy playing sessions and tours, his other musical passion is playing western swing with the legendary Pedal steel guitarist Michel Rose in their band The Feral Swing Katz. Their blend of 40’s swing, classic country with a touch of jazz has made a huge impact on the Australian music market. In 2001 they earned a MO award for Best Country Band; in 2002 they added a Golden Guitar; then in 2006 the Ferals won the ACE award for Country Group of the Year.

In January 2013 Stuie and his wife Camille won a Golden Guitar Award at Tamworth for “Best Alternative Country Album of the Year” which Stuie produced. Their songs have also featured on the Channel 7 Drama “A Place to Call Home”.

Stuie is one of the finest guitar players in the world. Kym Warner (The Greencards)

Other notes:

• Stuie was invited to meet and perform with Les Paul in 2009 at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York with his wife Camille.
• Stuie toured in 2010 along with Rex Goh and Phil Emmanuel performing music of Dire Straits to packed houses.
• The Stuie French Pickers Night in Tamworth every year attracts the top players from around the country. Here’s a clip from 2011 where Tommy Emmanuel joined Stuie on stage - http://www.youtube.com/watch'v=P7rzxg6v37Y