SLIM DUSTY

David Gordon Kirkpatrick was born on 13 June 1927 in Kempsey, New South Wales, the son of a cattle farmer. Kirkpatrick adopted the stage name Slim Dusty in 1938 at eleven years of age. His earliest musical influences included Jimmie Rodgers.  In 1946, he signed his first recording contract with Columbia Graphophone for the Regal Zonophone label. His first single in 1947 ''When the Rain Tumbles Down in July' became one of his best-known songs. In 1951, Dusty married singer-songwriter Joy McKean 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 and David Kirkpatrick, who are also accomplished singer-songwriters. McKean wrote several of Dusty's most popular songs, including: "Walk A Country Mile", "Indian Pacific", "Kelly's Offsider", "The Angel of Goulburn Hill" and "The Biggest Disappointment".

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. 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 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 1958 hit "A Pub with No Beer" was the biggest-selling record by an Australian to that time and was released in Canada, Ireland, NZ, Norway, South Africa, UK and the USA. Over the course of his career, he collected more gold and platinum albums than any other Australian artist. (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.

1964 saw the establishment of the annual Slim Dusty Australia-round tour, a 48,280 kilometres (30,000 mi) journey that went on for ten months. This regular event was the subject of a feature film,The Slim Dusty Movie, in 1984. Dusty recorded not only songs written by himself and other fellow Australian performers but also classic Australian poems by Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson, with new tunes to call attention to the old 'Bush Ballads.' An example is 'The Man from Snowy River' by Paterson. In 1970, he was made a member of the Order of the British Empire for services to music. In 1973, he won Best Single at the inaugural Country Music Awards of Australia at the Tamworth Country Music Festival (McKean won Song of the Year as writer of "Lights on the Hill").

In all, he won a record 35 "Golden Guitars" over the years. Slim Dusty and his wife were patrons of the National Truck Drivers' Memorial located at Tarcutta, New South Wales. The General Manager of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, invited him and his wife to perform in 1997, recognising 50 years contributing to Country Music. The following January, he was awarded an officer of the Order of Australia for his service to the entertainment industry. Dusty recorded and released his one hundredth album, 'Looking Forward, Looking Back', in 2000.

All 100 albums had been recorded with the same record label, EMI, making Dusty the very first music artist in the world to record 100 albums with the same label. He was then given the honour of singing ''Waltzing Matilda'' in the Closing Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, with the whole stadium (officially 114,714 in attendance, the largest in Olympic history) singing along with him. Dusty died at his home in St Ives, New South Wales, on 19 September 2003 at the age of 76 after a protracted battle with cancer.

Thousands gathered at St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney, on 26 September 2003 at a state funeral attended by the Prime Minister of Australia John Howard, and the federal opposition leader Simon Crean. Anglican Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen's tribute included leading the congregation of family, statesmen, fans, and musicians in the singing of "A Pub With No Beer". The funeral featured tributes from Slim's children as well as words from other national music stars (Peter Garrett and John Williamson) and music from Graeme Connors, Kasey Chambers, and Troy Cassar-Daley. Thousands of fans travelled from around Australia to stand outside the cathedral. He was cremated at Northern Suburbs Crematorium, Sydney.

SINGLES

''When The Rain Tumbles Down In July / My Faded Dream'' 1947 Regal Zonophone
''How Can I Smile When I'm Lonely / Been A Fool Too Long'' 1947 Regal Zonophone

''Give Me One More Chance / Sat'Day In The Saddle'' 1948 Regal Zonophone
''My Moonlight Trail To You / My Aussie Home'' 1948 Regal Zonophone
''I Must Have Good Terbaccy When I Smoke / When I First Saw The Love Light In Your Eyes'' 1951 Regal Zonophone 
''Answer To The Silvery Moonlight Trial / I Bet You Feel The Same'' 1951 Regal Zonophone
''Why Worry Now / Springtime On The Range'' 1951 Regal Zonophone
''Stay Away From Me / A Song Of Granny'' 1951 Regal Zonophone
''Good Old Santa Claus / Sun Valley Rose'' 1952 Regal Zonophone
''Whiskey Blues / You Made Me Live, Love And Die'' 1952 Regal Zonophone

''The Showman's Song / The Sunlander'' 1955 Regal Zonophone
''Bushland Boogie / Any Old Time'' [with Dick Carr And His Buckaroos] 1955 Regal Zonophone
''The Rain Still Tumbles Down / Rose Of Remembrance'' 1955 Regal Zonophone
''Since The Bushland Boogie Came This Way / Barn Dance Selections'' 1956 Regal Zonophone
''Runaway Heart/The Range Of Glory'' 1956 Regal Zonophone
''Once When I Was Mustering / Old Bush Mates Of Mine'' 1958 Columbia

''A Pub With No Beer (#1) / Saddle Boy'' 1958 Columbia
''The Answer To A Pub With No Beer (#12) / Winter Winds'' 1958 Columbia
''The Man From Never Never / Hullo And Goodbye'' 1958 Columbia
''Sequel To A Pub With No Beer (#23) / Sunny Southern Sue'' [with Dick Carr And His Buckaroos] 1958 Columbia

''Somebody's Mother / Sweeney'' [with Dick Carr And His Buckaroos] 1959 Columbia
''When They Muster On The Golden Plain / The Saddle Is His Home'' 1959 Columbia
''Weddin' Bell Blues / When The Moon Across The Bushland Beams'' 1959 Columbia
''I Love You Best Of All / Spending My Life In The Sun'' 1959 Columbia
''If Those Lips Could Only Speak / There'a A Rainbow Round My Memories'' [with Dick Carr And His Buckaroos] 1959 Columbia
''Pastures Of Home [with Joy McKean] / Dreamin' On The Sliprail'' 1959 Columbia
''Walkin' On My Way / Gumtrees By The Roadway'' [with Dick Carr And His Buckaroos] 1959
''Harry The Breaker / Queensland The State So Fair'' [with Dick Carr And His Buckaroos] 1959 Columbia
''Mother / Our Wedding Waltz'' [with Joy McKean] 1959 Columbia
''Little Girl Dressed In Blue / Old Love Letters'' 1959 Columbia
''Along The Road Of Song / My Journey Home (It's Never The Same)'' 1959 Columbia
''The Nature Of Man / Roaring Wheels'' 1959 Columbia
''The Showman's Song / The Sunlander'' 1959 Columbia
''I Must Have Good Terbaccy When I Smoke / When I First Saw The Lovelight In Your Eyes [with Joy McKean] 1959 Columbia
''The Pub Rock / Aussie Dog House Blues'' 1960 Columbia
''Fair Dinkum / No Good Baby'' 1960 Columbia
''Waltzing Matilda / Down At Charlie Gray's'' [with Dick Carr And His Buckaroos] 1960 Columbia
''Keep The Love-light Shining [with Joy McKean] / When You're Short Of A Smoke'' 1960 Columbia
''Travellin' Through / My Old Aussie Homestead'' 1960 Columbia
''My Home On The Sunburnt Plains / Whiplash'' [with Dick Carr And His Buckaroos] 1960 Columbia
''I Don't Want No Woman Around / The Boys Who Never Returned'' [with Dick Carr And His Buckaroos] 1960 Columbia
''Mareeba's Rodeo Song / The Land Of Lot's O' Time'' 1961 Columbia
''Wagon Trains North / If You Walk Out That Gate'' 1961 Columbia
''My Pal Alcohol [with Joy McKean] / The Old Rusty Bell'' 1961 Columbia
''Middleton's Rouseabout / I Want A Pardon For Daddy'' 1961
''The Whispering Bush'' [with The Delltones] / Mother's Wedding Band'' [with Joy McKean] 1961 Columbia
''Mad Jack's Cockatoo / Charley Gray's Barn Dance'' 1961 Columbia
''Boomerang'' [with The Delltones] (#79) / The Happiest Days Of All'' [with Joy McKean] 1961 Columbia
''I'll Take Mine Country Style / Cosy Inn'' 1961 Columbia
''Showers Of Blessings / Big Moon'' 1961 Columbia
''The Paper Boy'' / You've Got The Cleanest Mind (In The Whole Wide World) [with Joy McKean] 1961 Columbia
''Mother, The Queen Of My Heart / Song Of The Macleay'' 1961 Columbia
''Keela Valley'' / Lonely, Lonesome Blues'' [with Joy McKean] 1961 Columbia
''Highway Blues / Moving Away'' 1961 Columbia
''High, Wide And Handsome / Old Home Week'' 1961 Columbia
''Train Whistle Blues / The Old Woolshed Do'' 1962 Columbia
''Return Of The Stockman / Grasshopper Loose In Queensland'' 1962 Columbia
''Sweet Talkin' Girl / The Rose In Her Hair'' 1963 Columbia
''When Your Short Of A Quid / Don't Fool Around Any More'' 1963 Columbia
''Where The Golden Sliprails Are Down / This Chap Who Knows A Lot'' 1963 Columbia
''Leaning Post / Arajoel Waltz'' 1963 Columbia
''The Ace Of Hearts / Never Mind'' 1963 Columbia
''Namatjira / Rose Of Red River Valley'' 1964 Columbia
''Way Out There / The Faded Coat Of Blue'' [with Joy McKean] 1964 Columbia

''Teenage Country Style [with Anne Kirkpatrick] / You'd Better Be Waiting'' [with Joy McKean] 1964 Columbia

''How Will I Go With Him, Mate ? / Just Going Home'' 1964 Columbia
''Pay Day At The Pub / Wild Rugged Land That I Love'' 1965 Columbia
''Maple Sugar Sweetheart / Life Is Like A River'' 1965 Columbia
''When The Rain Tumbles Down In July / A Word To Texas Jack'' 1965 Columbia
''A Letter From Down Under / Cunnamula Fella'' 1965 Columbia
''I Haven't Changed A Bit [with Anne Kirkpatrick] / The Decimal Currency Pub (With Acknowledgements To "A Pub With No Beer")'' 1966 Columbia
''Dinky Di Aussie / If We Only Had Old Ireland Over Here'' 1966 Columbia
''Trumby / The Isa Rodeo'' 1966 Columbia
''You Can Never Do Wrong In A Mother's Eyes / Road Trains'' 1966 Columbia
''The Old Time Drover's Lament / Night Watch Blues'' 1967 Columbia
''Happy Jack / A Rose Of Red'' 1967 Columbia
''Since Then / Shearing Shed Blues'' 1967 Columbia
''Daddy's Girl [with Anne Kirkpatrick] / You Took The Joy Out Of Livin' 1967 Columbia
''Music My Dad Played To Me / The Desert Lair'' 1967 Columbia
''A Friend Indeed / Slow Down'' 1967 Columbia
''Fair Enough / Ghosts Of The Golden Mile'' 1968 Columbia
''The Min Min Light / Song Of The West'' 1968 Columbia
''Little Old One Horse Pub / The New Australian Bushman'' 1968 Columbia
''Brigalow Bill / Many Mothers'' 1968 Columbia
''Old Riders In The Grandstand / Roadliner'' 1968 Columbia
''We'll Have To Stick Together [with David Kirkpatrick] / Callaghan's Hotel'' 1969 Columbia
''I've Been Talking To Grannie / A Certain Kind Of Gold'' 1969 Columbia
''The Ballad Of Henry Lawson / I Heard The Bluebird Sing'' [with Joy McKean] 1969 Columbia
''Cattle Camp Crooner / Paddy Gramp'' 1969 Columbia
''Last Train To Nowhere / Big Time (Just Because You're In Deep Elem)'' 1970 Columbia
''Darwin (Big Heart Of The North) (#71) / Rodeo Riders'' 1970 Columbia
''Sniff, The Digger's Dog / If I Only Had A Home Sweet Home'' 1970 Columbia
''Good Old Country Style / So Long, Old Mates'' 1970 Columbia
''Country Livin' / The Ballad Of Port Macquarie'' 1971 Columbia
''Big Frogs In Little Puddles / Guess Who Felt Silly'' 1971 Columbia
''Drownin' My Blues / Ramblin' Shoes'' 1972 Columbia
''The Lights On The Hill (#100) / Redwing'' 1972 Columbia
''Jesus, Take A Hold / Sadness And I Wander Home'' 1972 Columbia
''Election Day / Old Gidgee Tree'' 1972 Columbia
''Foolin' Around [with Joy McKean] / God's Own Singer Of Songs'' 1973 Columbia
''Riding This Road / Streets Of Sydney'' 1973 Columbia
''Travelling Country Band [with Joy McKean, Anne and David Kirkpatrick] / I Broke A Promise'' 1973 Columbia
''Althea / Spanish Pipedream'' 1974 Columbia
''The Biggest Disappointment (#57) / I'll Come Around'' 1974 Columbia
''Closest Thing To Freedom / You're Still On My Mind'' 1975 Columbia
''I Don't Sleep At Night / Goldrush Country'' 1975 Columbia
''Worst In The World / Interstater'' 1975 Columbia
''The Melbourne Cup (#91) / Carry My Own Guitar'' 1975 Columbia
''I've Been There (And Back Again) / Coming Down The Barkly'' 1976 EMI
''Sundown / Commercial D.T.'S'' 1976 Columbia
''Indian Pacific / Isa'' 1977 Columbia
''Highway Fever / Beat Of The Government Stroke'' 1978 Columbia
''Walk A Country Mile / In My Hour Of Darkness'' 1979 Columbia
''Spirit Of Australia / Give It A Go, Mate'' 1979 Columbia
''Leave Him In The Long Yard / The Ballad Of Big Bill Smith'' 1980 Columbia
''No Man's Land / Plains Of Peppimenarti'' 1980 Columbia
''Pub With No Beer / Send 'Er Down, Hughie!'' 1980 Columbia
''Duncan (Version One) (#1) / Duncan (Version Two)'' 1980 Columbia
''Where Country Is / Big Yabbies From The Creek'' 1981 EMI
''Country Revival (#99) [with Family] / Nobody Heard'' 1981 Columbia
''G'Day, Blue / One Truckie's Epitaph'' 1981 Columbia
''Every Little Bit Of Australia / The Brass Well'' 1982 Columbia
''Banjo's Man / Last Thing To Learn'' 1982 Columbia
''The Pub That Doesn't Sell Beer (#94) / Are The Good Old Days Gone'' 1982 Columbia
''The Man From Snowy River / Clancy Of The Overflow'' 1982 Columbia
''Old Time Country Halls / Gettin' Up And Goin' 1983 Columbia
''Pub With No Beer / Another Day, Another Town'' [with Gordon Parsons] 1983 Columbia
''I'm Married To My Bulldog Mack / Kilometres Are Still Miles To Me'' 1984 Columbia
''Just Rollin' / Cunnamulla Feller'' 1984 Columbia
''You've Got To Drink The Froth To Get The Beer / Born With An Endless Thirst'' 1985 Columbia
''Traveller's Prayer / Singer From Down Under'' 1985 Columbia
''Cattlemen From The High Plains / City Of Mount Isa'' 1986 Columbia
''The Boxing Kangaroo / He's A Good Bloke When He's Sober, But...'' 1986 Columbia
''We've Done Us Proud (#80) / Waltzing Matilda'' 1987 Columbia
''G'day G'day (#37) / Break Away'' 1988 Columbia
''How's Your Memory? / Christmas, When I Was Big As You'' 1988 Columbia
''Crying On Each Other's Shoulders /Drovin' [with Anne Kirkpatrick] 1989 EMI
''Ringer From The Top End / Duncan'' 1993 Sundown
''Things Are Not The Same On The Land'' 1991 EMI
'She'll Be Right, Mate' 1992 EMI
''Charleville'' 1994 EMI
''Rock 'N' Roll In A Cowboy Hat'' 1995 EMI
'Wobbly Boot' 1998 EMI
''Diggin' A Hole'' 1999 EMI
'Looking Forward Looking Back' 2000 EMI
'The Bloke Who Serves The Beer' 2001 EMI
''Get Along'' 2001 EMI

 EPs
'The Pubs With No Beer' 1958 Columbia
'Slim Dusty' 1960 Columbia
'Any Old Time' 1960 Columbia
'A Bouquet Of Roses' 1964 Columbia
'My Pal Alcohol' 1964 Columbia
'I'll Take Mine Country Style' 1965 Columbia
'Slim Dusty And Anne' 1966 Columbia
'Henry Lawson And Slim Dusty' 1966 Columbia
'Family Album' 1967 Columbia
'Trumby' 1967 Columbia
'The Old Time Drover's Lament' 1968 Columbia
'Slim Dusty And Family' 1968 Columbia
'Diggers And Mates' 1969 Columbia
'Slim Dusty Sings Stan Coster' 1970 Columbia
'Songs We Sing On Tour' [with Joy McKean] 1972 Columbia

ALBUMS
'Slim Dusty Sings' 1960 Columbia
'Songs for Rolling Stones' '1961 Columbia
'Along the Road of Song' 1962 Columbia
'Aussie Sing Song' 1962 Columbia
'Another Aussie Sing Song' '1963 Columbia
'Songs in the Saddle' 1963 Columbia
'Songs of Australia' 1964 Columbia
'People and Places' 1964 Columbia
'Australian Bush Ballads' 1965 Columbia
'The Nature of the Man' 1966 Columbia
'An Evening with Slim and Joy' [with Joy McKean] 1966 EMI
'Essentially Australian' 1967 Columbia
'Songs My Father Sang to Me' 1968 Columbia
Songs from the Cattle Camps (1968) Columbia
'Sing Along with Dad' [with Joy McKean, Anne and David Kirkpatrick] 1968 Columbia
'Cattle Camp Crooner' 1969 Columbia
'Slim Dusty Encores' 1969 Columbia
'Sing a Happy Song' 1970 Columbia
'Songs from the Land I Love' 1971 Columbia
'Glory Bound Train' 1971 Columbia
'Me and My Guitar 1972 Columbia
'Foolin' Around' [with Joy McKean] 1972 Columbia
'Tall Stories and Sad Songs' 1973 Columbia
'Australiana' (#96) 1974 Columbia
'Lights on the Hill' (#45) 1975 Columbia
'Way Out There' 1975 Columbia
'Things I See Around Me' (#62) 1976 Columbia
'Give Me the Road' (#81) 1976 Columbia
'This Is Your Life' 1976 Columbia
'Songs from Down Under' 1976 Columbia
'Slim Dusty Sings His Favourite Songs' 1976 Columbia
'Just Slim with Old Friends' [with Barry Thornton, Paul and Colleen Trenwith and Linsday Butler] 1977
'On the Move' (#59) 1977 Columbia
'Travellin' Country Man' 1977 Columbia
'To Whom It May Concern' (#64) 1978 Columbia
'A Guitar and a Hat' 1979 Columbia
'Spirit of Australia' (#79) 1979 Columbia
'Rodeo Riders' 1979 Columbia
'Walk a Country Mile' (#58) 1979 Columbia
'The Man Who Steadies the Lead' (#61) 1980 Columbia
'Slim Dusty Family Album' (#65) 1980 Columbia
'Where Country Is' (#59) 1981 Columbia
'Who's Riding Old Harlequin Now' (#90) 1981 Columbia
'On the Wallaby' (#76) 1983 Columbia
'I Haven't Changed a Bit' 1983 Columbia
'Trucks on the Track' (#50) 1983 Columbia
'I'll Take Mine Country Style' 1985 Columbia
'Singer from Down Under' (#78) 1985 Columbia
'To a Mate' 1985 Columbia
'Australia Is His Name' 1985 Columbia
'Stories I Wanted to Tell' 1986 Columbia
'Beer Drinking Songs of Australia' (#77) 1986 Columbia
'Cattlemen from the High Plains' (#95) 1987 Columbia
'Neon City' (#86) 1987 Columbia
Country Livin' 1987 Columbia
The Heritage Album 1988 Columbia
'Slim Dusty Sings Stan Coster' 1988 Columbia
'G'day G'day!' (#78) 1988 Columbia
'King of Kalgoorlie' (#85) 1989 Columbia
'Two Singers One Song' [with Anne Kirkpatrick] 1989 EMI
'Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson' 1990 EMI
'Coming Home' (#98) 1990 Regal Zonophone
'Slim Dusty Sings Joy McKean' 1991 EMI
'A Land He Calls Our Own' 1992 EMI
'Travellin' Guitar' 1992 EMI
'That's the Song We're Singing' 1992 EMI
'Ringer from the Top End' (#65) 1993 EMI
'Natural High' (#95) 1994 EMI
'Country Way of Life' (#71) 1995 EMI
'A Time to Remember' (#34) 1997 EMI
'Talk About the Good Times' 1997 EMI
'Old Time Drover's Lament' 1997 EMI
'Makin' a Mile' (#34) 1997 EMI
'Down the Dusty Road' 1998 EMI
'West of Winton' 1999 EMI
'Nighty Night (aka '99)' 1999 EMI
'Looking Forward Looking Back' (#3) 2000 EMI
'The Man Who Is Australia' 2000 EMI
'A Piece of Australia' 2000 EMI
'The Men From Nulla Nulla' [with Shorty Ranger] 2001 EMI
'Travellin' Still...Always Will' (#37) [with Anne Kirkpatrick] 2000 EMI

References

http://self.gutenberg.org/article/WHEBN0000321623/Slim%20Dusty

http://top100singles.blogspot.com.au/