Slim Dusty, AO

MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language Molal ...

(born David Gordon Kirkpatrick; 13 June 1927 – 19 September 2003) was an Australian country music singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. He was an Australian cultural icon and one of the country's most awarded stars, with a career spanning nearly seven decades and producing numerous recordings. He was known to record songs in the legacy of Australia, particularly of bush life and renowned Australian bush poets

Henry Lawson Henry Archibald Hertzberg Lawson (17 June 1867 – 2 September 1922) was an Australian writer and bush poet. Along with his contemporary Banjo Paterson, Lawson is among the best-known Australian poets and fiction writers of the colonial perio ...

and

Banjo Paterson Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson, (17 February 18645 February 1941) was an Australian bush poet, journalist and author. He wrote many ballads and poems about Australian life, focusing particularly on the rural and outback areas, including the ...

that represented the lifestyle. The music genre was coined the "bush ballad", a style first made popular by Buddy Williams, the first artist to perform the genre in Australia, and also for his many trucking songs. Slim Dusty "released more than a hundred albums, selling more than seven million records and earning over 70 gold and platinum album certifications". He was the first Australian to have a No. 1 international hit song, with a version of Gordon Parsons' "

A Pub with No Beer "A Pub with No Beer" is the title of a humorous country song made famous by country singers Slim Dusty (in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States) and Bobbejaan Schoepen (in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Austria). Gordon Pa ...

". He received 38

Golden Guitar The Big Golden Guitar is one of the many "big" attractions that can be found around Australia. Located in Tamworth, New South Wales, the monument is one of the best-known points of interest in New England. It is also a major attraction duri ...

and an

Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...

(ARIA) award. He was inducted into the

ARIA Hall of Fame In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...

and

Australian Roll of Renown The Australian Roll of Renown was inaugurated bRadio 2TMin 1976. The award honours Australian and New Zealander musicians who have shaped the music industry by making a significant and lasting contribution to Country Music. The award is determin ...

. At the time of his death, at the age of 76, Dusty had been working on his 106th album for

EMI Records EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company of the same name in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succ ...

. In 2007, his domestic record sales in Australia surpassed seven million. During his lifetime, Dusty was considered an Australian National Treasure. He performed "

Waltzing Matilda "Waltzing Matilda" is a song developed in the Australian style of poetry and folk music called a bush ballad. It has been described as the country's "unofficial national anthem". The title was Australian slang for travelling on foot (waltzing) ...

", a very famous song in Australia, at the

closing ceremony An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly-constructed location or the start of an event.

of the

Sydney 2000 Olympic Games The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...

Early life and career

David Gordon Kirkpatrick was born on 13 June 1927 in Nulla Nulla Creek west of Kempsey, New South Wales, the son of a cattle farmer. His childhood home, " Homewood", survives and is now heritage-listed. He was known by his middle name, Gordon. He wrote his first song, "The Way the Cowboy Dies", in 1937 and adopted the stage name "Slim Dusty" in 1938 at age 11. His earliest musical influences included the American

Jimmie Rodgers James Charles Rodgers (September 8, 1897 – May 26, 1933) was an American singer-songwriter and musician who rose to popularity in the late 1920s. Widely regarded as "the Father of Country Music", he is best known for his distinctive rhythmi ...

, New Zealander

Tex Morton Tex Morton (born Robert William Lane in Nelson, New Zealand, also credited as Robert Tex Morton; 30 August 1916 – 23 July 1983) was a pioneer of New Zealand and Australian country and western music, vaudevillian, actor, television host and ...

, and Australia's own Buddy Williams. In 1945, Dusty wrote "

When the Rain Tumbles Down in July "When the Rain Tumbles Down in July" is an Australian country music song written by Slim Dusty. It has been covered by several other artists including Lee Kernaghan, Graeme Connors as well as Dusty's daughter Anne Kirkpatrick. The song was reco ...

" and released his first record that year at the age of 19. In 1946, he signed his first recording contract with Columbia Graphophone for the Regal Zonophone label.

Rise to fame and enduring popularity

In 1951, Dusty married singer-songwriter

Joy McKean Joy McKean , (born 14 January 1930), is an Australian country music singer-songwriter and wife and manager of the late Slim Dusty. Known as the "grand lady" of Australian country music, McKean is recognised as one of Australia's leading songwrite ...

and, with her help, achieved great success around Australia. In 1954, the two launched a full-time business career, including the Slim Dusty Travelling Show. McKean was Dusty's wife and manager for over 50 years. Together the couple had two children,

Anne Kirkpatrick Anne Kirkpatrick (born 4 July 1952) is an Australian country music singer. She is the daughter of country singers Slim Dusty and Joy McKean. Biography She also has a brother, David Kirkpatrick, who is an accomplished singer-songwriter. The ...

and David Kirkpatrick, who are also accomplished singer-songwriters. Joy's sister Heather McKean (the other half of the McKean Sisters) married

Reg Lindsay Reginald John Lindsay OAM (7 July 1929 – 5 August 2008) was an Australian country music singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and radio and television personality. He won three Golden Guitar Awards and wrote more than 500 ...

in February 1954 and divorced in 1985. The couple had a daughter, Dianne Lindsay, who is also a country music singer. Joy McKean wrote several of Dusty's most popular songs, including " Lights On The Hill", "Walk a Country Mile", "Indian Pacific", "Kelly's Offsider", "The Angel of Goulburn Hill" and "

The Biggest Disappointment "The Biggest Disappointment" is an Australian country music song written by Joy McKean and made famous by her husband, Slim Dusty. It has been covered by artists including Missy Higgins, Troy Cassar-Daley, Beccy Cole, and Gina Jeffreys.Country mus ...

". Although himself an accomplished writer of songs, Dusty had a number of other songwriters, including Mack Cormack, Gordon Parsons, Stan Coster, and Kelly Dixon, who were typically short on formal education but big on personal experience of the

Australian bush "The bush" is a term mostly used in the English vernacular of Australia and New Zealand where it is largely synonymous with ''wikt:backwoods, backwoods'' or ''hinterland'', referring to a natural undeveloped area. The fauna and flora containe ...

. Drawing on his travels and such writers over a span of decades, Dusty chronicled the story of a rapidly changing postwar Australian nation. Nevertheless, the arrival of

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

music saw major metropolitan music radio stations abandon support for country artists, and despite record sales in the multimillions, after the 1950s Dusty was rarely heard on-air outside regional centres in Australia. Dusty's 1957 hit "

" was the biggest-selling record by an Australian to that time, the first Australian single to go gold and the first and only 78 rpm record to be awarded a gold disc.Dave Laing
"Slim Dusty: Country singer famous for A Pub With No Beer"
''The Guardian (UK)'', 20 September 2003 (The "Pub with No Beer" is a real place, in Taylors Arm, not far from Kempsey, where Slim was born.) In 1959 and 1960, Dutch and German cover versions of the song became number one hits (even evergreens) in Belgium, Austria and Germany, brought by the Flemish country singer-guitarist and amusement park founder

Bobbejaan Schoepen Bobbejaan Schoepen (a pseudonym of Modest Schoepen; 16 May 1925 – 17 May 2010) was a Flemish pioneer in Belgian pop music, vaudeville, and European country music. Schoepen was a versatile entertainer, entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, guita ...

. In 1964 the annual Slim Dusty Australia-round tour, a journey that went on for ten months, was started. This regular event was the subject of a feature film, ''

The Slim Dusty Movie ''The Slim Dusty Movie'' is a 1984 Australian feature film directed by Rob Stewart and starring Slim Dusty, Joy McKean, Jon Blake and Mary Charleston. The film The film dramatises the early life and career of Australian country music singer ...

'', in 1984. Dusty recorded not only songs written by himself and other fellow Australian performers but also classic Australian poems by

and

, with new tunes to call attention to the old "bush ballads". An example is "

The Man from Snowy River The Man from Snowy River may refer to: * "The Man from Snowy River" (poem), an 1890 Australian poem by Banjo Paterson. * '' The Man from Snowy River and Other Verses'' an 1895 poetry collection by Banjo Paterson (including the above) * ''The Man ...

" by Paterson. The 1980 album and songs ''The Man Who Steadies the Lead'' and ''The Pearl of Them All'' were the works of Paterson's rival for the title of Australia's bush balladeer, Scottish-Australian poet Will H. Ogilvie (1869–1963). In 1970, Dusty was made a member of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

for services to music. In 1973, he won Best Single at the inaugural

Country Music Awards of Australia The Country Music Awards of Australia also known as the Golden Guitar Awards (originally named Australasian Country Music Awards) is an annual awards night held in January during the Tamworth Country Music Festival, in Tamworth, New South Wales ...

at the

Tamworth Country Music Festival The Tamworth Country Music Festival is an annual Australian music festival held for 10 days from Friday to Sunday in mid to late January each year, sometimes including Australia Day, in Tamworth, New South Wales. The festival is the second bigg ...

(McKean won Song of the Year as writer of " Lights on the Hill"). By March 1976, Dusty had achieved 37 gold and two platinum records, more than any other Australian artist. Dusty and his wife were patrons of the National Truck Drivers' Memorial, located in

Tarcutta Tarcutta is a town in south-western New South Wales, Australia. The town is south-west of Sydney, east of the Hume Highway, It was proclaimed as a village on 28 October 1890. As of 2016, the town had a population of 446. It serves a local f ...

, New South Wales. The general manager of the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

, Bob Whitaker, invited Dusty and his wife to perform in 1997, recognising 50 years of contributing to country music. The following January, he was appointed an Officer of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

for his service to the entertainment industry. Dusty recorded and released his 100th album, ''Looking Forward, Looking Back'', in 2000 and became the first artist in worldwide commercial recording history to do so; second was

Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...

. All 100 albums had been recorded with the same record label, EMI, making Dusty the first music artist in the world to record 100 albums with the same label. He was then given the honour of singing "

" in the closing ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics, with the whole stadium (officially 114,714 in attendance, the largest in Olympic history) singing along with him. Slim's repertoire included

country gospel Christian country music (sometimes marketed as country gospel, gospel country, positive country or inspirational country) is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as (in terms of t ...

music, with which he liked to finish his shows. His live albums usually carried the theme, and in 1971 he released the Gospel album ''Glory Bound Train'' featuring the eponymous hit ''Glory Bound Train'' and other songs of a Christian theme. ''Glory Bound Train'' was in turn the song selected to conclude the tribute concert held at Tamworth after his death. The "Concert for Slim" was recorded live on January 20, 2004, at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre, and an all-star cast of Australian musicians sang out the show with Slim's ''Glory Bound Train''. The DVD was certified 3× Platinum in Australia.

Death

He died at his home in

St Ives, New South Wales St Ives is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia 18 kilometres north of the Sydney Central Business District in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council. St Ives Chase is a separate ad ...

, on 19 September 2003 at the age of 76 after a protracted battle with

lung The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of t ...

and

kidney cancer Kidney cancer, also known as renal cancer, is a group of cancers that starts in the kidney. Symptoms may include blood in the urine, lump in the abdomen, or back pain. Fever, weight loss, and tiredness may also occur. Complications can include sp ...

. Thousands gathered at

St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney St Andrew's Cathedral (also known as St Andrew's Anglican Cathedral) is a cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney in the Anglican Church of Australia. The cathedral is the seat of the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney and Metropolitan o ...

, on 26 September 2003 at a

state funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of Etiquette, protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive ...

attended by the

Prime Minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister heads the executive branch of the Australian Government, federal government of Australia and is also accountable to Parliament of A ...

John Howard John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the s ...

, and the federal opposition leader,

Simon Crean Simon Findlay Crean (born 26 February 1949) is an Australian politician and trade unionist. He was the Member of Parliament for Hotham from 1990 to 2013, representing the Labor Party, and served as a Cabinet Minister in the Hawke, Keating, R ...

. In the funeral, the Anglican Dean of Sydney,

Phillip Jensen Phillip David Jensen (born 1945) is an Australian cleric of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney and the former Dean of St Andrew's Cathedral. He is the brother of Peter Jensen, the former Anglican Archbishop of Sydney. Early life and conversion J ...

paid tribute by leading the congregation of family, statesmen, fans and musicians in the singing of "A Pub With No Beer". Several tributes were featured from Dusty's children as well as words from other national musicians (

Peter Garrett Peter Robert Garrett (born 16 April 1953) is an Australian musician, environmentalist, activist and former politician. In 1973, Garrett became the lead singer of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil. As a performer he is known for his sign ...

and John Williamson) and music from

Graeme Connors Graeme Connors (born 29 April 1956) is an Australian country music singer, songwriter, and performer. Connors has released seventeen studio albums and has received fourteen Golden Guitar awards among other prestige Australian country music award ...

Kasey Chambers Kasey Chambers (born 4 June 1976) is an Australian country singer-songwriter and musician born in Mount Gambier. She is the daughter of fellow musicians, Diane and Bill Chambers, and the younger sister of musician and producer, Nash Chambers. ...

and

Troy Cassar-Daley Troy Cassar-Daley (born 18 May 1969) is an Australian country music songwriter and entertainer. Cassar-Daley has released thirteen studio albums, two live albums and five compilation albums over 30 years, including the platinum-selling ''The G ...

. Around Australia, thousands of fans had gathered to stand outside the cathedral; Dusty was later cremated at

Northern Suburbs Crematorium, Sydney The Northern Suburbs Crematorium, officially Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens and Crematorium, is a crematorium in North Ryde, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. It was officially opened on 28 October 1933, and the first cremation t ...

. Dusty had been working on his 106th album for EMI at the time of his death. On 8 March 2004 the album, '' Columbia Lane – the Last Sessions'', debuted at number five in the Australian album charts and number one on the country charts. Gold status was achieved after being on sale for less than two weeks. ''Columbia Lane'' is a tribute to the laneway juxtaposed to

Parramatta Road Parramatta Road is the major historical east-west artery of metropolitan Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, connecting the Sydney CBD with Parramatta. It is the easternmost part of the Great Western Highway. Since the 1990s its role has been a ...

in Strathfield (near the railway bridge link), where the EMI studios once stood (now Kennards Hire), and where he began his music career. In 2004, Tamworth hosted the "Concert for Slim" as a memorial tribute featuring more than 30 Australian musical artists including

, Paul Kelly,

Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban (born 26 October 1967) is an Australian-American musician, singer, guitarist and songwriter known for his work in country music. Recognized with four Grammy Awards, Urban also received fifteen Academy of Country Music Award ...

Lee Kernaghan Lee Kernaghan OAM (born 15 April 1964) is an Australian country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. Kernaghan has won four ARIA Awards and three APRA Awards, and has sold over two million albums, and as of 2021, has won 38 Golden Guitars at ...

and

. In 2005, a statue of the "Cunnamulla Fella" was unveiled in

Cunnamulla Cunnamulla () is a town and a locality in the Shire of Paroo, Queensland, Australia. It is south of Charleville, and approximately west of the state capital, Brisbane. In the , Cunnamulla had a population of 1,140 people. Geography Cunnamulla ...

, Queensland, in tribute to Dusty and Stan Coster and to the iconic song of that name performed by Dusty with lyrics by Coster. The song recalls Coster's days working as a sheep-shearing "ringer" around Cunnamulla in the 1950s. Dusty recorded the song and it became an enduring country music hit, later covered by

. The statue was unveiled by country music personalities

(Dusty's daughter), Jayne Kelly, and Tracy and Russell Coster.

' Australian sales of Dusty's records surpassed seven million in 2007.

Honours and milestones

Slim Dusty was Australia's most successful and prolific musical artist, with more

Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

and Platinum albums than any other Australian artist. He was also: * The first Australian to receive a

Gold Record Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

. * Made a

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

and an

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

for services to entertainment. * On 14 April 1981, on Space Shuttle ''Columbia'''s first mission, Dusty's rendition of "

" was broadcast to Earth. * The Royal Australian Mint issued a coin celebrating his life. * Dusty's image was featured on an

Australia Post Australia Post, formally the Australian Postal Corporation, is the government business enterprise that provides postal services in Australia. The head office of Australia Post is located in Bourke Street, Melbourne, which also serves as a post o ...

postage stamp. * In December 2020, Slim Dusty was listed at number 40 in ''Rolling Stone Australia''s "50 Greatest Australian Artists of All Time" issue.

ARIA Music Awards (ARIA)

The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards or ARIA Awards) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Slim Dusty has won one award from 10 nominations. Additionally, Dusty has been awarded two achievement awards and inducted into the Hall of Fame. , - ,

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

, , ''Stories I Wanted to Tell'' , ,

Best Country Album The Grammy Award for Best Country Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the country music genre. Honors ...

, , , - ,

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

, , himself , ,

, , , - , 1989 , , ''G'day, G'day!'' , , Best Country Album , , , - ,

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...

, , ''Two Singers, One Song'' (with Anne Kirkpatrick) , , Best Country Album , , , - ,

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

, , ''Coming Home'' , , Best Country Album , , , - , 1993 , , "Lights on the Hill" (with Keith Urban) , , Best Country Album , , , - ,

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...

, , ''Ringer from the Top End'' , , Best Country Album , , , - ,

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

, , ''Natural High'' , , Best Country Album , , , - , 1996 , , himself , , Special Achievement , , , - ,

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

, , himself , , Outstanding Achievement , , , - ,

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...

, , ''

Looking Forward Looking Back ''Looking Forward Looking Back'' is the 56th studio album by Australian country music singer-songwriter (1927-2003), Slim Dusty. This album was Slim Dusty's 100th album release. ''Looking Forward Looking Back'' was celebrated with a special Netw ...

'' , , Best Country Album , , , - ,

, , ''Looking Forward Looking Back'' , , Highest Selling Album , , , - , 2004 , , '' Columbia Lane - the Last Sessions'' , , Best Country Album , , , -

Country Music Awards (CMAA)

The Country Music Awards (CMAA) are an annual awards ceremondy celebrating recording excellence in the Australian country music industry. It first commenced in 1973 at the Tamworth

. According the Country Music Association of Australia, Slim Dusty has won 44

Golden guitar The Big Golden Guitar is one of the many "big" attractions that can be found around Australia. Located in Tamworth, New South Wales, the monument is one of the best-known points of interest in New England. It is also a major attraction duri ...

plus, an induction into

. (listed below). This is more than any other artist. According to Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2022,

won his 40th, surpassing Slim Dusty's record of 38 awards. (wins only) , - , rowspan="3", 1973 , , ''Me & My Guitar'' , , Album of the Year , , , - , "Lights on the Hill" , , Song of the Year , , , - , "Lights on the Hill" , , Best EP or Single , , , - , 1974 , , ''Live At Tamworth'' , , Album of the Year , , , - , rowspan="3", 1975 , , ''

Australiana Australiana includes the items, people, places, flora, fauna and events of Australian origins. Anything pertaining to Australian culture, society, geography and ecology can fall under the term Australiana, especially if it is endemic to Austra ...

'' , , Album of the Year , , , - , "Biggest Disappointment" , , Song of the Year , , , - , "Biggest Disappointment" , , Male Vocalist of the Year , , , - , rowspan="2", 1976 , , '' Lights on the Hill'' , , Album of the Year , , , - , "Worst in the World" , , Top selling song of the Year , , , - , rowspan="4", 1977 , , ''Angel of Goulburn Hill'' , , Album of the Year , , , - , "Three Rivers Hotel" , , Song of the Year , , , - , "Things I See Around Me" , , Top selling song of the Year , , , - , "Angel Of Goulburn Hill" , , Male Vocalist of the Year , , , - , rowspan="2", 1978 , , "Indian Pacific" , , Song of the Year , , , - , "Indian Pacific" , , Top selling song of the Year , , , - , rowspan="3", 1979 , , "Beat of the Government Stroke" , , Song of the Year , , , - , "Marty" , , Male Vocalist of the Year , , , - , himself , ,

, , , - , rowspan="2", 1980 , , ''Walk a Country Mile'' , , Album of the Year , , , - , ''Walk a Country Mile'' , , Top Selling , , , - , rowspan="2", 1981 , , ''The Man Who Steadies the Lead'' , , Album of the Year , , , - , ''The Man Who Steadies the Lead'' , , Top Selling , , , - , 1982 , , "Where Country Is" , , Heritage Award , , , - , 1983 , , "Banjo's Man" , , Heritage Award , , , - , rowspan="2", 1984 , , ''On the Wallaby'' , , Album of the Year , , , - , ''Australia's On the Wallaby'' , , Heritage Award , , , - , rowspan="2", 1985 , , ''Trucks On The Track'' , , Album of the Year , , , - , ''Trucks On The Track'' , , Top Selling , , , - , 1987 , , "He's a Good Bloke When He's Sober" , , Song of the Year , , , - , 1988 , , ''Neon City'' , , Album of the Year , , , - , rowspan="2", 1989 , , "We've Done Us Proud" , , Song of the Year , , , - , "We've Done Us Proud" , , Heritage Award , , , - , rowspan="2", 1991 , , "Two Singers, One Song" (with Anne Kirkpatrick) , , Top Selling , , , - , ''Coming Home'' , , Album of the Year, , , - , 1992 , , "Things Are Not the Same On the Land" , , Song of the Year , , , - , 1994 , , "Leave Him In the Longyard" (with Lee Kernaghan) , , Vocal Group or Duo of the Year , , , - , rowspan="2", 1997 , , "Old Time Country Halls" , , Heritage Song of the Year , , , - , "Must've Been a Hell of a Party" , , Bush Ballad of the Year, , , - , 1998 , , "Lady Is a Truckie" , , Bush Ballad of the Year , , , - , rowspan="3", 2001, , ''

'' , , Top Selling Album of the Year , , , - , "Looking Forward Looking Back" , , Video Clip of the Year , , , - , "Paddy William" , , Bush Ballad of the Year , , , - , 2002 , , "West of Winton" , , Bush Ballad of the Year , , , - , 2003, , "Just an Old Cattle Dog" , , Bush Ballad of the Year , , , - , 2005, , "Get Along" , , Video Clip of the Year , , , -

King of Pop Awards

The King of Pop Awards were voted by the readers of

TV Week ''TV Week'' is a weekly Australian magazine that provides television program listings information and highlights, as well as television-related news. Content ranges from previews for upcoming storylines of popular television programs, particu ...

. The King of Pop award started in 1967 and ran through to 1978. , - , 1977 , himself , Most Popular Australian Country Musician , , - , 1978 , himself , Most Popular Australian Country Musician , , - * Note: the Most Popular Australian Country Musician award was only presented in 1977 and 1978.

Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the

Mo Awards The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards) were an annual Australian entertainment industry award, that where established in 1975, to recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia. They were l ...

), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Slim Dusty won two awards in that time. From 2006, the "best country entertainer" award was named in his honour. (wins only) , - , 1985 , Slim Dusty , Male Country Entertainer of the Year , , - , 2015 , Slim Dusty , Special Lifetime Achievement Award , , -

Tamworth Songwriters Awards

The Tamworth Songwriters Association (TSA) is an annual songwriting contest for original country songs, awarded in January at the

. They commenced in 1986. Slim Dusty won two awards in that time. (wins only) , - , 1993 , "Bucking Horse Called Time" by Slim Dusty and Keith Garvey , Traditional Bush Ballad of the Year , , - , 1996 , "Fifteen Hundred Head" by Slim Dusty and K&M Dixon , Traditional Bush Ballad of the Year , , -

Legacy

* Dusty's life was the subject of a 1984 feature film: ''

''. * "Pub With No Beer" was added to the

National Film and Sound Archive The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national co ...

Sounds of Australia The Sounds of Australia, formerly the National Registry of Recorded Sound, is the National Film and Sound Archive's selection of sound recordings which are deemed to have cultural, historical and aesthetic significance and relevance for Australi ...

registry in 2008. * The 2010 book '' 100 Best Australian Albums'' by Toby Creswell, Craig Mathieson and John O'Donnell ranked '' The Very Best of Slim Dusty'' as the 24th best Australian album of the previous 50 years. * The Slim Dusty Centre was built in Kempsey, NSW, Dusty's home town, and opened in October 2015.

Discography

' Australian sales of Slim Dusty records surpassed 7 million in 2007.

References

External links

Official website
(includes a more thorough discography) *
Slim Dusty at the National Film and Sound ArchiveSlim Dusty Centre Project
* Listen to a clip fro
"Pub With No Beer"
and read more about it on australianscreen online. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dusty, Slim 1927 births 2003 deaths 20th-century guitarists 21st-century guitarists Acoustic guitarists APRA Award winners ARIA Award winners ARIA Hall of Fame inductees Australian country guitarists Australian country singers Australian country singer-songwriters Australian guitarists Australian Members of the Order of the British Empire Australian people of Irish descent Deaths from cancer in New South Wales Deaths from kidney cancer Deaths from lung cancer Australian male guitarists Officers of the Order of Australia People from the Mid North Coast Singers from New South Wales Yodelers 20th-century Australian male singers 21st-century Australian male singers Australian male singer-songwriters Australian Christians