Slim Dusty, AO MBE (born David Gordon Kirkpatrick; 13 June 1927 – 19 September 2003) was an

Australian country music Australian country music is a part of the music of Australia. There is a broad range of styles, from bluegrass, to yodeling to folk to the more popular. The genre has been influenced by Celtic and English folk music, the Australian bush balla ...

singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. He was an Australian cultural icon, referred to universally as Australia's King of Country Music 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 genre, particularly of bush life, including works by renowned Australian

bush poet The bush ballad, bush song, or bush poem is a style of poetry and folk music that depicts the life, character and scenery of the Australian bush. The typical bush ballad employs a straightforward rhyme structure to narrate a story, often one of ...

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 period ...

and

Banjo Paterson Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson, (17 February 18645 February 1941) was an Australian bush poet, journalist and author, widely considered one of the greatest writers of Australia's colonial period. Born in rural New South Wales, Paterson worke ...

, who represented the lifestyle. The music genre was coined the "bush ballad", a style first made popular by Buddy Williams. Dusty was also known 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 Guitars 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 Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...

(ARIA) award. He was inducted into the

ARIA Hall of Fame Since 1988 the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) has inducted artists into its annual ARIA Hall of Fame. While most have been recognised at the annual ARIA Music Awards, in 2005 ARIA sought to create a separate standalone ceremo ...

and

Australian Roll of Renown The Australian Country Music Roll of Renown is an Australian and New Zealand country music Hall of Fame that was inaugurated bRadio 2TMin 1976. The award honours Australian and New Zealand musicians who have shaped the music industry by making a ...

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

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

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

's "

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 ...

" 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, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...

Family and career

Childhood and early career

David Gordon Kirkpatrick was born on 13 June 1927 in Nulla Nulla Creek west of

Kempsey, New South Wales Kempsey is a town in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia and is the council seat for Kempsey Shire. It is located roughly 16.5 kilometres inland from the coast of the Pacific Ocean, on the Macleay Valley Way near where the P ...

, 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 American

Jimmie Rodgers James Charles Rodgers ( – ) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who rose to popularity in the late 1920s. Widely regarded as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Country Music", he is best known for his di ...

, 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 Sydney, Australia) was a pioneer of New Zealand and Australian country and western music, vaudevillian, actor, tel ...

, and Australia's Buddy Williams. In 1945, Dusty wrote " When the Rain Tumbles Down in July" and released his first record that year at age 18. In 1946, he signed his first recording contract with Columbia Graphophone for the Regal Zonophone label.

Influential wife, and children

In 1951, Dusty married singer-songwriter

Joy McKean Mildred Geraldine Joy Kirkpatrick (née McKean; 14 January 1930 – 25 May 2023), was an Australian country music singer-songwriter and wife and manager of Slim Dusty. Her daughter is country singer and musician Anne Kirkpatrick. McKean was ...

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. McKean's sister Heather, half of the McKean Sisters music duo that preceded Joy's association with Dusty, was married to Australian country singer

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 ...

, before separating and later divorcing in the 1980s, whereupon the McKean sisters re-started their music duo. Together Dusty and Joy McKean 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 ye ...

and David Kirkpatrick, who are also accomplished singer-songwriters.

Dusty hits written by Joy McKean

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".

Other songwriters' contributions

Although himself an accomplished writer of songs, Dusty had a number of other songwriters, including Mack Cormack, Gordon Parsons,

Stan Coster Stan Coster (27 May 193025 March 1997) was an Australian country music singer-songwriter. His songs were regularly performed by Slim Dusty and other singers. He is the father of country music singer Tracy Coster. Early life Stan Coster was bo ...

, 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, New Zealand and South Africa, where it is largely synonymous with hinterlands or backwoods. The fauna and flora contained within the bush is typically native to the regi ...

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

First megahit

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 Ingham, North Queensland].) 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, guit ...

. 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'', in 1984.

Contributions of other songwriters

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), "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 (inc ...

" 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 valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

for services to music. In 1989 Slim recorded 'Murray Moon' by fellow Aussie Reg Stoneham with vocals by his daughter Anne Kirkpatrick.

Awards and honors

In 1973, Dusty 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 Wale ...

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, Tamworth, New South Wales. The f ...

(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 farm ...

, New South Wales. The general manager of the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a regular live country music, country-music Radio broadcasting, radio broadcast originating from Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM (AM), WSM, held between two and five nights per week, depending on the ...

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

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

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

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 a British singer and actor. He has total sales of over 21.5 million singles in the United Kingdom and, as of 2012, was the third-top-selling artist in UK Singles Chart histo ...

. All 100 albums were recorded with the same record label, EMI, making Dusty the first music artist in the world to record 100 albums with the same label. Dusty was appointed to sing "

" at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics; the whole stadium (officially 114,714 in attendance, the largest in Olympic history) sang along with him.

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 was awarded two achievement awards and inducted into the Hall of Fame. , - ,

1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...

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

Best Country Album The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary 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 ge ...

, , , - ,

1988 1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...

, , himself , ,

, , , - ,

1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...

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

1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...

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

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

, , ''Coming Home'' , , Best Country Album , , , - ,

1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...

, , "Lights on the Hill" (with Keith Urban) , , Best Country Album , , , - ,

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

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

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

, , ''Natural High'' , , Best Country Album , , , - ,

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

, , himself , , Special Achievement , , , - ,

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

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

2001 The year's most prominent event was 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. The United States led a Participan ...

, , ''

Looking Forward Looking Back ''Looking Forward Looking Back'' is the 56th studio album by Australian country music singer-songwriter Slim Dusty. This album was Slim Dusty's 100th album release. ''Looking Forward Looking Back'' was celebrated with a special Network 9 This ...

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

, , ''Looking Forward Looking Back'' , , Highest Selling Album , , , - ,

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, , '' 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 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 the

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

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 ...

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 is anything pertaining to Australian culture, society, geography and ecology, especially if it is endemic to Australia or has reached iconic status. It includes people, places, flora, fauna and events of Australian origins. Austr ...

'' , , 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 as the Mo Awards) were an annual Australian entertainment industry award, established in 1975, to recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia. They were last awarded in 2016. ...

), 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 , , -

Country gospel music interest

Dusty'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 ...

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 20 January 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 separ ...

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

Colorectal cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the Colon (anatomy), colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include Lower gastrointestinal ...

. Eminent figures, including the

Prime Minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister is the chair of the Cabinet of Australia and thus the head of the Australian Government, federal executive government. Under the pr ...

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. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. His eleven-year tenure as prime min ...

, and the federal opposition leader,

Simon Crean Simon Findlay Crean (26 February 1949 – 25 June 2023) was an Australian politician and trade unionist. He was the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and leader of the opposition from 2001 to 2003. He represented the seat of Hotham i ...

, attended a

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

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

on 26 September 2003, where thousands had gathered. 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 ...

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 awa ...

Kasey Chambers Kasey Chambers (born 4 June 1976) is an Australian country music, Australian country singer-songwriter and musician born in Mount Gambier, South Australia, Mount Gambier to musicians Diane and Bill Chambers (musician), Bill Chambers. Her older ...

and

. Around Australia, thousands of fans gathered to stand outside the cathedral; Dusty was later cremated. 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 on 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 central business district, Sydney CBD with Parramatta. It is the easternmost part of the Great Western Highway. S ...

Strathfield Strathfield is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 12 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the Municipality of Strathfield. A sma ...

(near the railway bridge link), where the EMI studios once stood (now a

Kennards Self Storage Kennards Self Storage is an Australian privately-owned self storage company. History The company's forebears are in the establishment of Kennards Hire, when Walter Kennard founded W Kennard Agencies in 1948 selling equipment and machinery a ...

store), 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 ( né Urbahn; 26 October 1967) is an Australian and American country singer, songwriter and guitarist. Recognised with four Grammy Awards, he has also received 15 Academy of Country Music Awards, including the Jim Reeves Int ...

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 ...

and

. In 2005, in tribute to the iconic song " Cunnamulla Fella" performed by Dusty with lyrics by

, an eponymous statue was unveiled in the Queensland town of

Cunnamulla Cunnamulla () is a town and a Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Shire of Paroo, Queensland, Australia. It is south of Charleville, Queensland, Charleville, and approximately west of the state capital, Brisbane. In the 2021 Au ...

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

Milestones

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

Gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

and

Platinum albums Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

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

Gold Record Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

. * 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 valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

and an

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

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 and also known as AusPost, is an Australian Government-State-owned enterprise, owned corporation that provides postal services throughout Australia. Australia Post's head office is loca ...

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.

Legacy

* Dusty's life was the subject of a 1984 feature film: '' The Slim Dusty Movie''. * "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 c ...

Sounds of Australia The Sounds of Australia, formerly the National Registry of Recorded Sound, is the National Film & Sound Archive's selection of sound recordings deemed culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant and relevant for Australia. It was fo ...

registry in 2008. * The 2010 book ''

100 Best Australian Albums ''The 100 Best Australian Albums'' (a.k.a. ''One Hundred Best Australian Albums'') is a compendium of rock and pop albums of the past 50 years as compiled by music journalists Toby Creswell, Craig Mathieson and John O'Donnell. The book was ...

'' 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 Archive

Slim 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 Australian guitarists 21st-century Australian guitarists Australian acoustic guitarists APRA Award winners ARIA Award winners ARIA Hall of Fame inductees Australian country guitarists Australian country singer-songwriters 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 in Australia Deaths from lung cancer in Australia Australian male guitarists Officers of the Order of Australia People from the Mid North Coast Singers from New South Wales Australian yodelers 20th-century Australian male singers 21st-century Australian male singers Australian male singer-songwriters Australian Christians Burials at Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens 20th-century Australian singer-songwriters 21st-century Australian singer-songwriters Regal Zonophone Records artists