Spotlight on... with Janne GuitarGirl

Born in Tauranga, Josh Durning was inspired to pick up a guitar after hearing his grandfather, Keith Capamagian, play and sing songs by Hank Snow and Johnny Cash.

Josh also loves to play old-time country music songs (Riley Puckett, Charlie Poole, Jimmy Rodgers), but when performing he also loves to cover bluegrass, jazz and ragtime as well as the country 'flavour'.

I first saw Josh play when my friend Aroha Thompson brought him along to the Tauranga Acoustic Music Club, and also I saw him perform at open mic nights at The Matua, where he was given encouragement from local musicians Andy Craw and Trevor Braunius. I have seen Josh continue to improve, especially when I saw him perform after returning from overseas where he played at Nashville, festivals and in auditoriums and performing on stage with Tony Joe White, Bill Nershi and Tommy Emmanuel, and another well-known Tauranga guitarist, Mark Mazengarb and his friend Loren Barrigar.

Josh also plays banjo and mandolin and occasionally dabbles on piano, and he has started to teach other aspiring musicians.

Come along and support this young, talented Tauranga musician. Josh Durning will be playing at 'The Bowentown' on July 16 from 4.30-7pm, at the Brew Craft Beer Pub on The Strand from 5-8pm on August 5 and 26, and he will also perform at the Neighbourhood Beer Kitchen in Cherrywood from 3-6pm on August 6.