Meet Yorkshire guitarist George Collins taking Nashville by storm after playing Dales pubs

“Everything has suddenly changed – I’m on the road touring with a great group of guys and the next thing we’re on stage at a big music festival in front of mega crowds. It’s just nuts,” reflects George.

Getting a chance to play alongside American Idol star Noah Thompson is one of the biggest breaks George has managed to secure since he was spotted performing in Nashville bars.

He was soon getting invited to recording sessions as a freelance guitarist and since then, it’s been a “whirlwind”. He stepped in to join local bands before being invited to support acts such as country music singer Josh Gracin and backing the Zac Brown Band.

“Pretty soon I was on the road basically living day-to-day in a Mercedes Sprinter Van with the guys. Every meal is a McDonald’s, and every gig is different,” he says. “It’s just an amazing experience.”

George’s musical talent was nurtured while he was at school in Settle, North Yorkshire.

He won music scholarships and had options to pursue his dream in the UK, but the States beckoned, and he secured a place at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

The pandemic and lockdown could have derailed George’s fledgling career, but – supported by family back home in the Dales – he stuck at it, turning to social media to share videos of his playing, and building a global online following.

Backing from the music industry helped; Eastman Guitars and others supported his career. Then, after graduation came the decision to move to Tennessee.

“This is where you need to be and I knew I’d have to work hard to be accepted, but everything seemed to come together really quickly.

"People were asking me if I could step in at short notice because a particular guitarist wasn’t available, so I just said ‘yes’ and got to learning the set – fast.

“Then I was offered the chance to tour. So it’s been Illinois, Michigan, the Myrtle Beach Music Festival, Ohio, Cincinnati. All over the place.

“You learn early on in Nashville that you are either on a route to being a musician ‘in town’ or on the road. And it’s definitely been the road for me.”

What will the future hold for Settle’s Guitar George? “I’m just dealing with everything as it comes every day," he says.

"I have these great opportunities and potentially a chance to secure a long-term future here, so all I really want to do is focus on working with artists like Noah and Josh, who are such great, laid back guys.”