Slim Dusty is an
Australian Country Music singer/songwriter.
He was born David Gordon Kirkpatrick in the town of Kempsey, New South Wales, on June 13 1927. He grew up on his parents' farm in Nulla Nulla Creek, west of Kempsey.
Slim Dusty had humble beginnings and his musical career did not have a promising start - for many years he worked at whatever he could get in between recording songs. In 1957, he had his first international hit with the song The Pub with no Beer, actually written by his friend Gordon Pearson. As well as being the song which made him famous, it is widely believed that it was the first Australian international hit song of any kind.
Slim Dusty was the first singer to have his voice beamed to earth from space when in 1983, his recording of Waltzing Matilda was played from the space shuttle Columbia as it passed over Australia.
Slim Dusty has recieved over 30 Golden Guitars, an award given at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, an event held annually in that New South Welsh town. He also is the Australian record holder of gold and platinum records. He has been Chairman of the Country Music Association of Australia since its foundation in 1992.
Slim Dusty is a relic of an Australia that existed only in the imagination of most Australians, a "dinky-di", "true-blue" Crocodile Dundee-esque man of the outback. He is certainly irrelevant to most Australians today, which is a multicultural society with one of the most urbanised populations in the world. Nevertheless he is still quite popular and in 1999 was named Australian "Father of the Year".
He has been married to Joy McKean since 1951. He has a daughter, Anne Kirkpatrick, also a singer. Editor's note: Slim Dusty died of cancer on 19 September 2003, and was given a state funeral.
Discography:
Aussie Sing Song, July 1962
Songs in the Saddle, July 1963
Another Aussie Sing Song, September 1963
People and Places, October 1964
The Nature of Man, March 1966
An evening with Slim and Joy, May 1966
Essentially Australian, May 1967
Songs My Father Sang To Me, October 1967
Songs From The Cattle Camps, May 1968
Sing Along With Dad, September 1968
Cattle Camp Crooner, August 1969
Slim Dusty Encores, November 1969
Sing A Happy Song, April 1970
Songs From The Land I Love, June 1971
Glory Bound Train, September 1971
Live at Wagga Wagga, April 1972
Me and My Guitar, September 1972
Foolin' Around, February 1973
Live at Tamworth, August 1973
Dusty Tracks, August 1973
Tall Stories and Sad Songs, December 1973
Australiana, August 1974
Dinki Di Aussies, October 1974
Lights on the Hill, July 1975
Way Out There, December 1975
Things I See Around Me, June 1976
Give Me The Road, October 1976
Songs From Down Under, November 1976
Just Slim With Old Friends, April 1977
On The Move, August 1977
Travellin' Country Boy, August 1977
Whom It May Concern, August 1978
The Entertainer, December 1978
Spirit of Australia, May 1979
Rarities, May 1979
Rodeo Riders, June 1979
Walk a Country Mile, September 1979
The Man Who Steadies The Lead, September 1980
The Slim Dusty Family Album, December 1980
No. 50 Golden Anniversary, March 1981
Where Country Is, September 1981
Who's Riding Old Harlequin Now?, October 1982
On The Wallaby, June 1983
I haven't Changed A Bit, October 1983
Trucks on the Track, May 1984
The Slim Dusty Movie, September 1984
I'll Take Mine Country Style, April 1985
Singer From Down Under, July 1985
To A Mate - Slim Dusty Remembers "Mack" Cormack, October 1985
Beer Drinking Songs Of Australia, October 1985
Australia Is His Name, November 1985
Live Across Australia (The Slim Dusty Family), January 1986
Stories I Wanted To Tell, January 1986
Country Livin', January 1987
Cattlemen From The High Plains, March 1988
Heritage Album, May 1988
Neon City, August 1988
Slim Dusty Sings Stan Coster, October 1988
G'Day G'Day, November 1988
King Of Kalgoorlie, July 1989
Henry Lawson and Banjo Patterson, October 1989
Two Singers, One Song, December 1989
Coming Home, October 1990
A Land He Calls His Own, September 1991
Slim Dusty Sings Joy McKean, October 1991
Travellin' Guitar, October 1991
Live Into The '90s, February 1992
That's The Song We're Singing, October 1992
Ringer From The Top End, October 1992
The Anniversary Album No. 2, October 1993
Natural High, October 1994
Regal Zonophone Collection, August 1995
Country Way of Life, September 1995
Fiddler Man, November 1995
The Slim Dusty Show - Live In Townsville 1956, January 1996
Country Classics - Slim Dusty, September 1996
91 Over 50, September 1996
Makin' A Mile, 1997
The Very Best Of Slim Dusty, November 1998
'99, October 1999
Looking Forward, Looking Back, July 13 2000
The Man Who Is Australia, July 2000
West Of Winton, October 2001
The Men From Nulla Nulla - Reunited And Revisited, October 2001
Travellin' Still... Always Will, With Anne Kirkpatrick (his daughter), March 2002
Sources:
1. (members.tripod.com).
http://www.chaosmusic.com/shop/biography.asp?artistID=1992
http://members.tripod.com/~ozcm/slim.html
www.slimdusty.com