Richard Smith Gets Standing Ovation From The World’s Best Acoustic Guitarist

Richard Smith’s career-defining performance took place at an informal session during the annual Chet Atkins Appreciation Society Convention in Nashville. The English fingerstyle guitarist had moved to the city after making a name for himself. His musical influences included Merle Travis and Jerry Reed, while Chet Atkins had been his childhood hero.

Both formal programs and casual guitar gatherings are part of the convention. Its main occasion is the Saturday-night gala concert, when participants wear formal clothing. Smith performed during a less formal midsummer set instead, appearing in shorts and a golf shirt. He chose Scott Joplin’s “The Entertainer,” and a video of the performance subsequently went viral on YouTube.

Tommy Emmanuel was seated alongside Smith during the rendition. In a 2019 MusicRadar.com poll, Emmanuel had been chosen as the world’s best acoustic guitarist. After Smith reached the end of the complicated piece, Emmanuel stood and applauded him.

The video, dated July 2018, has surpassed 13 million views on YouTube. That figure is exceptional among Smith’s uploads, most of which attract view totals in the thousands. A separate video showed Fil, a British guitarist from Wings of Pegasus, reacting to Smith’s acoustic guitar playing.

Watch the full performance on page two