Al Schackman is most widely known as the legendary Nina Simone’s guitarist and music director. He met the late, great Miss Simone in 1958, thus beginning over four decades of touring the world and playing major global stages with her through the year 2000.  When he wasn’t playing with Nina, he toured throughout the U.S. and Europe with Harry Belafonte. They frequently traveled with Dr. Martin Luther King, playing at his speaking engagements and fundraisers. Al also performed with Nina and Harry at the historic concert in Montgomery, Alabama following the Selma civil rights march. He was also first call guitarist for Atlantic and Columbia records. His guitar can be heard on recordings by Neil Sedaka, Ben E. King, The Drifters, The Eisley Brothers, Solomon Burke, among many others.

            In response to many requests from those who have heard his entertaining life stories, Al has put them into a book, entitled ME, MY GUITAR, & NINA SIMONE, that is filled with his adventures and misadventures, some hilarious and some historically relevant today. His stories of Nina Simone are intimate and revealing; stories that only someone so closely involved with her can bring to the reader. He describes the dangers he encountered traveling with Dr. King, together with harrowing experiences as a white musician in a black band playing in the segregated south. His tales include various encounters with many celebrities as well as exotic foreign travel.

            Currently, Al lives on a ranch in northeastern New Mexico with his wife Ginny and continues to write and record.