Shoji Tabuchi

Birthday: April 16, 1944

Born in Ishikawa in southwestern Japan, Shoji Tabuchi discovered the violin at the age of 7. Encouraged by his mother to study the instrument, Shoji would listen to American gospel and country music to find inspiration. When he got word of Roy Acuff was coming to perform in Osaka, Tabuchi went to the concert and was allowed to meet Acuff backstage. Impressed by the passion and skill, Acuff suggested Tabuchi should make his way to Nashville one day and give him a call should be find himself there. As fate would have it, Shoji landed in Nashville a few years later, and Acuff gave the man a chance to perform in front of an audience. Tabuchi's success would eventually bring him to Branson, Missouri in 1980, where he has developed a loyal fan base and his own theatre where he performs his signature musical shows.