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428:. In the background on the album cover is an image of the "Whacky Shack" at Wichita's Joyland Amusement Park (closed 2006). According to McKee, "On this album I've branched out a bit and included some instrumentation on a couple of songs. There's also a new harpguitar tune and a couple of covers such as "
423:
McKee announced in May 2009 that he intended to finish touring in the second half of the year and concentrate on recording his upcoming album. He stated in July 2009 that it would most likely be titled "Joyland", the title track of the album which originally went under the name "Music For A Vacant
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McKee began listening to metal, such as Dream
Theater, at an early age. He described on Woodsongs how he was a "metal freak" during childhood, even performing a Metallica song in his high school talent show. It was not until he saw Preston Reed that his influences began to shift towards acoustic
494:
In
December 2015, McKee professionally recorded live shows at The Melting Point in Athens, GA, the Red Clay Music Foundry in Duluth, GA, and Workplay in Birmingham, AL, which he then edited together and released as his first ever live record, entitled "Live Book," on March 8, 2016.
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and announced his first release of new music since 2014's "Mythmaker," beginning with a six-track EP of cover songs entitled "Symbol" to be released on
September 17, 2021. The first single from the EP, a cover of "Ragamuffin" by Michael Hedges, was released on July 15, 2021.
424:
Amusement Park." The song was inspired by an amusement park in Topeka, Kansas named Boyle's
Joyland that was open from 1951 to 1988. The album was completed in November 2009 and released digitally on March 23, 2010, with a physical release following on March 30, 2010 through
324:, with whom he has since toured repeatedly. He placed second in the Fingerstyle Guitar Competition of the Canadian Guitar Festival that year. The album was later re-released by McKee's label in response to the popularity he garnered on YouTube.
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Self-described as "just this guy from Topeka, Kansas, who kind of blew up on the
Internet about a week before Christmas", McKee became one of Candyrat Records' best-selling artists after their video of "Drifting" was promoted by users at
612:
In 2016, McKee began developing and hosting a series of multi-day guitar workshops (or "boot camps") through
Dreamcatcher Events. His first flagship boot camp, "Andy McKee's Musicarium," was hosted at the Full Moon Resort in
514:(dubbed "McKee Mondays") and offering online guitar instruction through TrueFire, as well as dedicated one-on-one lessons. In June 2021, McKee performed his first live show since the start of the pandemic in
483:, and others. On April 8, 2014, McKee released "Mythmaker," a four-song EP of new original material that included his first-ever solo piano composition ("June") and made use of electric guitar ("Lumine").
228:. McKee later bought an instructional videotape from Reed and began to learn many of his acoustic guitar techniques from it. Later that year, with his mother's permission, he obtained his
609:, Sometimes It Snows in April, Mountains, Dance Electric, and Love, Thy Will Be Done. He also kicked off the Melbourne concert with Ebon Coast, Drifting, and The Friend I Never Met.
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songwriters such as Don Ross and
Michael Hedges. Both walks of music continue to influence him, though he has stuck with acoustic music in his professional life.
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339:, was released on Candyrat Records in November 2005. Most of McKee's YouTube performances appear on the album, along with a handful of tracks carried over from
281:, and earned first place in the Miscellaneous Acoustic Instrument contest of the New Jersey State Fiddling and Picking Championships with a Ron Spillers
544:. For a time, three of McKee's videos were concurrently the three most-watched on YouTube. In the wake of this exposure, he appeared by invitation on
564:, playing guitar on the song "Little Drummer Boy". Groban's album went on to become the best-selling CD of 2007 in the U.S., hitting #1 on the U.S.
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After his popularity due to his performances on YouTube and touring throughout much of 2007, McKee returned to the studio to record his fourth CD,
204:
bought by his father, at age 13. Initially underwhelmed by his guitar lessons, McKee began teaching himself how to play guitar. He began learning
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An integral part of McKee's style of guitar playing is the use of alternate and open tunings, often combined with a regular and/or a banjo capo.
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videos featuring McKee's highly-technical guitar performances have achieved viral fame, garnering hundreds of million of views collectively.
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album, as well as two cover songs. McKee spent the majority of 2008 on tour throughout the world, performing with other
Candyrat artists.
220:. McKee's electric guitar-playing cousin inspired him to continue learning, taking him out for his 16th birthday to see a guitarist named
404:
In between touring, and helping promote his duo guitar record with Don Ross, McKee recorded an EP of two re-recordings of songs from his
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412:. The album was released digitally only, along with videos available on iTunes that include his performance of his two compositions.
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in order to quit attending high school and play more guitar. He began to be influenced by primarily acoustic guitarists such as
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McKee maintained a prolific worldwide touring schedule for several years after the release of "Joyland," including tours with
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he purchased from
Stephen Bennett in 2002. The instrument can be heard in a number of his songs on later albums, such as
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entitled "The Friend I Never Met." McKee used the title track to win the opportunity to perform with bassist
24:
312:, in 2004. The album includes his cover of Toto's "Africa" and "Theme from Schindler's List," as well as a
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was the only album of his carried by
Candyrat Records, and saw the most mainstream exposure as a result.
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player who has released six studio albums, three extended plays, and one live album to date. A number of
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This article is about the fingerstyle guitar player. For the American bass player, see
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Ernie Ball Music Man Electric Guitars – Steve Morse, Luke III and John Petrucci models
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343:. During the early stages of McKee's success on YouTube in late 2006 and early 2007,
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on his Welcome 2 Australia tour. He played with Prince's band during the concert on
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Ernie Ball Everlast Coated Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Strings – Medium
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Amazing finger style guitarist Andy Mckee proves why you suck
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were ever produced and the album is now out of circulation.
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621:(2018-2019) and the Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country in
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In 2001, McKee independently released his first album,
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2011 Andy McKee Interview on FingerstyleGuitarists.com
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582:that also features guitarists like Steve Lukather,
377:In 2008, McKee released a collaborative album with
23:. For other people named Andrew or Andy McKee, see
448:and four new performance music videos directed by
935:"The Andy McKee FAQ", Andy McKee official website
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1318:The Thing That Came From Somewhere with Don Ross
955:Instrument Contest Winner Archives – Andy McKee
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408:album, and a cover song by Japanese guitarist
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1142:"Andy McKee Guest Lesson – Altered Tunings"
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558:'s 2007 Grammy-nominated Christmas album,
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633:McKee has used the following equipment:
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1016:, The Canadian Guitar Festival website.
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273:. In 2003, McKee toured in Taiwan with
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1057:"Groban's 'Noel' Makes Chart History"
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1059:, Billboard.biz, December 18, 2007.
957:, Winfield Valley Festival website.
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1070:Artist Chart History – Josh Groban
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844:The Thing That Came From Somewhere
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371:The Thing That Came From Somewhere
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197:McKee played his first guitar, an
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1140:Total Guitar (October 25, 2012).
442:Everybody Wants to Rule the World
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308:McKee released his second album,
1405:21st-century American guitarists
661:K&K Sound Pickups (internal)
601:In 2012, McKee played alongside
1390:American fingerstyle guitarists
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1018:. Retrieved January 17, 2008.
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981:. Retrieved January 17, 2008.
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944:. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
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655:Lance McCollum Baritone Guitar
574:In 2010, McKee contributed to
1:
1395:Musicians from Topeka, Kansas
1313:Split DVD with Antoine Dufour
1074:. Retrieved January 19, 2008.
1003:. Retrieved January 17, 2008.
1001:Biography at McKee's website.
966:. Retrieved January 17, 2008.
921:
25:Andrew McKee (disambiguation)
686:McKee's influences include:
640:Greenfield HG1.2 Harp Guitar
637:Greenfield G4 and G2 Guitars
7:
1192:September 15, 2011, at the
1089:Andy McKee Official Website
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551:Last Call with Carson Daly
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1177:McKee's Official Website
658:Ron Spillers Harp Guitar
629:Equipment and influences
177:(born April 4, 1979, in
1420:Razor & Tie artists
1043:March 16, 2010, at the
667:T.C. Electronics Reverb
293:. Only 1,000 copies of
1415:Proper Records artists
1400:Guitarists from Kansas
1014:Andy McKee – Biography
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623:Santa Rosa, California
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277:, Isato Nakagawa, and
91:percussive fingerstyle
51:Background information
1430:YouTubers from Kansas
1264:The Gates of Gnomeria
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1072:, Billboard Magazine.
940:July 8, 2009, at the
823:The Gates of Gnomeria
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360:The Gates of Gnomeria
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615:Big Indian, New York
516:Nashville, Tennessee
21:Andy McKee (bassist)
682:in Toronto, Ontario
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446:Andy McKee: Joyland
145:, Mythmaker Records
1115:Greenfield Guitars
858:Common Ground (EP)
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224:perform live at a
183:fingerstyle guitar
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286:
266:
264:
258:
245:
222:Preston Reed
218:Joe Satriani
214:Eric Johnson
206:shred guitar
202:nylon string
196:
174:
173:
130:2001–present
126:Years active
29:
1370:1979 births
1306:Live albums
777:Discography
760:Pat Metheny
748:Imogen Heap
728:Iron Maiden
607:Purple Rain
556:Josh Groban
548:as well as
381:, entitled
316:tribute to
314:harp guitar
283:harp guitar
244:, and from
242:Pat Kirtley
119:harp guitar
87:fingerstyle
1364:Categories
1230:Andy McKee
922:References
596:Mike Stern
588:Neal Schon
175:Andy McKee
161:.andymckee
97:Occupation
62:1979-04-04
36:Andy McKee
1296:Mythmaker
1158:March 12,
889:Live Book
878:Mythmaker
720:Metallica
567:Billboard
546:Woodsongs
502:EP (2021)
488:Live Book
459:EP (2014)
457:Mythmaker
400:EP (2009)
210:Metallica
101:Guitarist
1334:Don Ross
1244:Nocturne
1190:Archived
1152:Archived
1041:Archived
1020:Archived
983:Archived
960:Archived
938:Archived
848:Don Ross
793:Nocturne
764:Don Ross
625:(2021).
469:Jon Gomm
379:Don Ross
364:Nocturne
295:Nocturne
267:Nocturne
259:Nocturne
252:Don Ross
143:CandyRat
1271:Joyland
1147:YouTube
1125:May 28,
1094:June 9,
868:Joyland
762:, and
732:Pantera
430:Layover
417:Joyland
187:YouTube
154:Website
1085:"Gear"
899:Symbol
756:Primus
649:Shubb
603:Prince
594:, and
578:'s CD
500:Symbol
490:(2016)
419:(2010)
373:(2008)
354:(2007)
331:(2005)
304:(2004)
261:(2001)
226:clinic
216:, and
135:Labels
111:Guitar
79:Genres
74:, U.S.
915:2023
912:(EP)
910:Pulse
904:2021
901:(EP)
893:2016
883:2014
880:(EP)
872:2010
862:2009
852:2008
846:with
838:2007
827:2007
817:2005
807:2004
797:2001
787:Year
712:Björk
651:Capos
584:Slash
432:" by
1160:2013
1127:2014
1096:2014
740:Toto
710:,
706:,
561:Noël
542:Digg
436:and
289:and
199:Aria
163:.com
83:Folk
56:Born
758:,
754:,
750:,
746:,
742:,
738:,
734:,
730:,
726:,
722:,
718:,
714:,
702:,
698:,
694:,
690:,
590:,
569:200
440:' "
250:by
230:GED
159:www
1366::
1150:.
1144:.
1113:.
1087:.
993:^
766:.
598:.
586:,
571:.
479:,
475:,
471:,
452:.
393:.
240:,
236:,
212:,
141:,
117:,
113:,
89:,
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1162:.
1129:.
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