55-550: The McClymonts are an Australian country music trio comprising sisters Brooke (born 1981), Samantha (born 1986) and Mollie McClymont (born 1987), originally from Grafton, New South Wales . They have released one eponymous EP and six studio albums, Chaos and Bright Lights , Wrapped Up Good , Two Worlds Collide , Here's To You & I , Endless and Mayhem to Madness . They have won fifteen Golden Guitars and two ARIA Awards . The McClymonts were discovered by Universal Records in 1997 when they were performing at
110-750: A self-titled debut album and charted four singles in Australia before moving to the United States in 1992 going on to chart more than fifteen singles on the US country charts, including ten number ones. Urban has proven extremely successful internationally and has won the Country Music Association Award for Male Vocalist of the Year three times and their top Entertainer of the Year honour twice. The Tamworth Country Music Festival
165-630: A 100,000 visitors annually. In 1974, popular cross-over artist Olivia Newton-John received the Country Music Association 's Top Female Vocalist award in the US, despite protest from American country purists. Her popular hits have included " I Honestly Love You " and " Tenterfield Saddler " by Australian singer-songwriter Peter Allen as well as country classics such as " Banks of the Ohio " and " Take Me Home, Country Roads ". Brian Young OAM (1935 – 15 May 2016), also known as
220-601: A 40-year international career upon cutting several popular sides in 1947 on the Regal Zonophone label including "Old Bush Shanty of Mine" and "Stockman's Lullaby". He toured with Willard (Bill) Ferrier's Famous Hillbillies in what was Sydney's first all-country format variety shows and became the voice of Australia's iconic Peters Ice Cream as the "Peter's Singing Cowboy". Reynolds achieved notoriety through song and screen performances worldwide, and later established 2 world records for yodeling. Slim Dusty (1927–2003)
275-686: A daughter in 2012 and a son in 2020. Samantha married pilot Ben Poxon in November 2014. In April 2017, she announced via a music clip that she was pregnant. She gave birth to a son in August 2017 and a second son in 2019. Mollie married Aaron Blackburn on 20 May 2015. She gave birth to a son in early 2016 and a daughter in 2018. In early 2024, Samantha was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer . She stood aside from all work commitments to focus on five months of chemotherapy and immunotherapy , followed by surgery and radiation. The McClymonts have won
330-418: A distinctly Australian bush ballad style, shifting from American songs to songs about Australia. He attained national popularity in the 1930s and formed a traveling "Rodeo and Wildwest Show" in the 1940s. In 1949 he travelled to North America and Europe enjoying great success as a stage hypnotist, working in film and with artists such as Hank Williams . He returned to Australia in the early 1960s, by which time
385-469: A generation of performers had carved a place for the Australian themed country music he pioneered. Smoky Dawson cut his first recording in 1941: "I'm a Happy Go Lucky Cowhand". In 1952, Dawson began a radio show, and went on to national stardom as a yodelling, whip cracking, knife throwing, singing cowboy of radio, TV and film. Known as "Canada's Yodelling Cowboy", Donn Reynolds (1921–1997) began
440-449: A more Americanised popular country music in Australia included Tex Morton (known as The Father of Australian Country Music ) in the 1930s and other early stars like Buddy Williams , Shirley Thoms and Smoky Dawson . In 1932, Tex Morton arrived from New Zealand, aged 16, and humped his swag around outback stations where he began to earn a name as a performer. In 1936 he cut his first commercial records in Australia. He went on to establish
495-719: A number of country covers including several on his 1986 album Kicking Against the Pricks , which has such well-known country classics as " By the Time I Get to Phoenix ", " Long Black Veil " and "The Singer" (a.k.a. "The Folksinger"). In 2000, Cash, covered Cave's " The Mercy Seat " on the album American III: Solitary Man . Subsequently, Cave cut a duet with Cash on a version of Hank Williams ' " I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry " for Cash's American IV: The Man Comes Around album (2002). Popular and emerging contemporary performers of Australian country include: Lee Kernaghan (whose hits include
550-466: A style quite distinct from its US counterpart, influenced by English, Irish and Scottish folk ballads and by the traditions of Australian bush balladeers like Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson . Country instruments, including the guitar , banjo , fiddle and harmonica create the distinctive sound of country music in Australia and accompany songs with strong storyline and memorable chorus and lyrics. The style of Australian country music evolved under
605-761: Is an annual country music festival held in Tamworth, New South Wales . the country music capital of Australia. It celebrates the culture and heritage of Australian country music. During the festival the Country Music Association of Australia holds the Country Music Awards of Australia ceremony awarding the Golden Guitar trophies and the Tamworth Songwriters Association hosts the annual Tamworth Songwriters Association Songwriting Awards. Another important Country festival,
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#1732798836652660-441: Is evidence that authentic, yet contemporary Australian bush country has not died with his passing". Her Australian accent, song subject matter and collaborations with established balladeers John Williamson and Paul Kelly link her to the oldest traditions of Australian country music. In the United States, Australian country music stars including Sherrié Austin and Keith Urban have attained great success. In 1991, Urban released
715-521: Is generally known as "bush music" or " bush band music". Country and folk artists such as Gary Shearston , Lionel Long , Margaret Roadknight , Tex Morton , Slim Dusty , Rolf Harris , The Bushwackers , John Williamson , and John Schumann of the band Redgum have continued to record and popularise the old bush ballads of Australia through the 20th and into the 21st century – and contemporary artists including Pat Drummond , Sara Storer and Lee Kernaghan draw heavily on this heritage. Pioneers of
770-527: Is known as The Sheik of Scrubby Creek. Johnny Ashcroft had an early country-rock chart success in Australia and New Zealand while Frank Ifield achieved considerable success in the early 1960s, especially in the UK Singles Charts. Reg Lindsay was one of the first Australians to perform at Nashville 's Grand Ole Opry in 1974. His international hit Armstrong , a tribute to the historic 1969 Moon landing by American astronaut Neil Armstrong
825-883: Is now included in a time capsule at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Ted Egan began recording in 1969 and has released 28 albums, mostly themed around outback life, history and Aboriginal affairs. Eric Bogle 's 1972 folk lament to the Gallipoli campaign " And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda " recalled the Celtic origins of Australian folk-country. Singer-songwriter John Williamson began to build his reputation as an iconic Australian entertainer with his 1970 performance of his first song " Old Man Emu " on New Faces (influenced by novelty works of Rolf Harris such as " Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport "). It
880-497: The ARIA Charts . The cross-over influence of Australian country is also evident in the music of successful contemporary bands The Waifs and The John Butler Trio . Singer-songwriter Paul Kelly whose music style straddles folk, rock, and country is often described as the "poet laureate" of Australian music. Eclectic rocker Nick Cave has been heavily influenced by the US country music artist Johnny Cash . Cave has recorded
935-564: The Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, creating a sub-genre often termed Aboriginal country music. Jimmy Little was a pioneer, Georgia Lee was of the same era (1940s–50s). Dougie Young , Lionel Rose , and Harry and Wilga Williams and their band the Country Outcasts were very popular during the 1960s and 1970s. Gus Williams , Auriel Andrew , and Isaac Yamma were active from
990-596: The Australian bush . Coster wrote popular Dusty bush ballads including " Cunnamulla Fella " and "Three Rivers Hotel" based on his own experience of working as a sheep hand and railway construction worker. Drawing on his travels and such writers over a span of decades, Dusty almost inadvertently chronicled the story of a rapidly changing post-war Australian nation. Nevertheless, the arrival of rock and roll music saw major metropolitan music radio stations abandon support for country artists like Dusty and despite record sales in
1045-949: The Deadly Awards , a celebration of Indigenous musicians and their music. The Mildura Country Music Festival celebrates the Australian Independent Country Music Awards every October. Other significant country music festivals include the Whittlesea Country Music Festival held north of Melbourne in February, Boyup Brook Country Music Festival held in Western Australian in February, Bamera Country Music Festival held in South Australia in June,
1100-757: The Golden Guitar Awards to the new body. By the 1990s, Country music had attained cross-over success in the pop charts with artists like James Blundell , James Reyne singing " Way Out West ", and country star Kasey Chambers winning the ARIA Award for Best Female Artist in 2000, 2002 and 2003 and becoming the youngest artist to ever be inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame . The daughter of steel guitarist Bill Chambers , Kasey Chambers' hits include " Not Pretty Enough " (2002), " True Colours " (2003) and " Pony " (2004), which were all top ten hits in
1155-474: The Gympie Muster began in near Gympie , Queensland in 1982. The non-profit community-based festival raises funds for charity and attracts around 25,000 fans to listen to stars and new talents alike. As well as mainstream Australian country the event showcases the breadth of contemporary Australian country: from folk and bush poetry, to alternative country . Indigenous country music is in evidence at
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#17327988366521210-631: The Gympie Muster , which saw eldest sister Brooke signed to the label. After middle sister Samantha went solo, Universal decided to sign them as a trio in February 2006. The band recorded their first release The McClymonts at the Rocking Horse Studios in Byron Bay with producer Steve James. It was released on 5 June 2006 and peaked at number forty on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart . The success of
1265-407: 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 ballad tradition, and popular American country music . Themes include: outback life, the lives of stockmen , truckers and outlaws , songs of romance and of political protest; and songs about
1320-899: The "beauty and the terror" of the Australian bush. Early pioneers of the genre included Tex Morton , Smoky Dawson (touted as Australia's first singing cowboy), Buddy Williams , Slim Dusty and Johnny Ashcroft , Reg Lindsay and Jean Stafford (Early Hadley Recordings) who are all members of the Australian Roll of Renown . Notable musicians include: Adam Brand , Adam Harvey , Amber Lawrence , Caitlyn Shadbolt , Christie Lamb , Jasmine Rae , Troy Cassar-Daley , Davidson Brothers , Slim Dusty , Steve Forde , Joy McKean (Australia’s Grand Lady Of Country Music), Jean Stafford (Australia’s Queen Of Country Music), Olivia Newton-John , Lionel Long , John Williamson , Chad Morgan , Keith Urban , O'Shea , Lee Kernaghan , Melinda Schneider , Kasey Chambers and Beccy Cole . Others influenced by
1375-421: The 1940s to the 1990s. In 1992, the Country Music Association of Australia was launched in Tamworth, New South Wales to encourage, develop and promote Australian country music. Slim Dusty was its first chairman, John Williamson its vice chairman, Joy McKean was treasurer, Max Ellis secretary and Phil Matthews public officer. After negotiations, Tamworth's Radio 2TM agreed to hand over responsibility for
1430-584: The 1970s, and the 1980s brought Roger Knox ("godfather of Koori music" ), Warren H. Williams , Kev Carmody , Archie Roach , Ruby Hunter , Tiddas , and the Warumpi Band , among many others. Troy Cassar-Daley is among Australia's successful contemporary Indigenous performers. Carmody and Roach have employed a combination of folk-rock and country music to sing about Aboriginal rights issues. The book, documentary film, and soundtrack Buried Country (2000) showcase significant Indigenous musicians from
1485-572: The 200th anniversary of the voyage of Captain James Cook along the coast of Eastern Australia. The pioneers of Australian country music Slim Dusty , Joy McKean , Barry Thornton, "Smiling" Billy Blinkhorn, Smoky Dawson , Shirley Thoms and Buddy Bishop all featured in the concert which contributed to a revival of interest in Australian country music which had struggled for airplay since the arrival of rock and roll in Australia. The Tamworth Country Music Festival began in 1973 and now attracts up to
1540-529: The Best Country Group award every year from 2007 to 2014. The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards ), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. The McClymonts won two awards in that time. Australian country music Australian country music is a part of
1595-770: The Country Music Channel Top 50 Countdown Chart. The trio entered the studio in March with producer Lindsay Rimes to record Here's to You & I , the follow-up album to Two Worlds Collide . Work on the album was completed in late April and the album was released in July through Universal Music Australia on 4 July 2014. It debuted at number 8 on the ARIA Albums Chart and number 1 on the ARIA Country Albums Chart. The trio spent
1650-550: The EP led to 'The Outback to the Beaches Tour', with fellow country singer Lee Kernaghan , and gave them a chance to show their new music to audiences nationwide. "Something That My Heart Does" was the first track released from the EP and was a hit on the Australian country music radio charts, peaking at number three. "Baby's Gone Home" was the second and last song released from the EP and became their first song to reach number one on
1705-634: The Grabine Music Muster Festival; Marilyns Country Music Festival is a unique event held in South Australia's Smoky Bay annually in September and is the only music festival in the world using an oyster barge as a stage. Along with the festivals above, there are also event that include country music such as Musters, Field Days and rural shows. Australian country music is promoted heavily through dedicated media outlets in Australia including: Planet Country with Big Stu & MJ
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1760-556: The Hill ". Their daughter Anne Kirkpatrick is also a successful singer-songwriter. The family began annual round Australia tours in 1964 – encompassing a 30,000-mile, 10-month journey which was the subject of a feature film, The Slim Dusty Movie in 1984. 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
1815-881: The Long Yard", or in Keith Urban reworking of the Slim Dusty/Joy McKean classic " Lights on the Hill ". The distinctive themes and origins of Australia's bush music can be traced to the songs sung by the convicts who were sent to Australia during the early period of the British colonisation, beginning in 1788. Early Australian ballads sing of the harsh ways of life of the epoch and of such people and events as bushrangers , swagmen , drovers , stockmen and shearers . Convict and bushranger verses often railed against government tyranny. Classic bush songs on such themes include: " The Wild Colonial Boy ", " Click Go
1870-844: The National Country Muster held in Gympie during August and the Canberra Country Music Festival held in the national capital during November. Some festivals are quite unique in their location: the Groundwater Country Music Festival is held beachside in Broadbeach , on the beautiful Gold Coast annually on the last weekend in July. Grabine State Park in New South Wales promotes Australian country music through
1925-569: The Shears ", "The Eumeralla Shore", "The Drover's Dream", "The Queensland Drover", "The Dying Stockman" and " Moreton Bay ". Later themes which endure to the present include the experiences of war, of droughts and flooding rains, of Aboriginal identity and of the railways and trucking routes which link Australia's vast distances. Isolation and loneliness of life in the Australian bush has been another theme. For much of its history, Australia's bush music belonged to an oral and folkloric tradition, and
1980-739: The Singing Rough Rider, the Singing Bushman, and the Voice Of The Outback, was born in Ayr, Queensland . His first recording was an EP in 1962 and he later released several albums on Opal Records, the last in 2007. His touring Brian Young Show, which toured to some of the most remote places in Australia by chartered aeroplane, brought major country music stars such as Jimmy Little, Col Hardy, Auriel Andrew , Roger Knox , Troy Cassar-Daley , and Beccy Cole to fans around
2035-521: The Year for the 2015 APRA Awards. On 25 July 2015 the album achieved 52 weeks in the ARIA Top 40 Country Albums Chart. In October 2016, The McClymonts released "House", the lead single from their fifth studio album Endless which was released in 2017. The album peaked at number 3 on the ARIA Charts. At the 2018 CMAA, The McClymonts lead the nominations, with 6. In February 2018, Brooke released
2090-685: The album Adam + Brooke with her husband Adam Eckersley . It peaked at number 16 on the ARIA Charts. In March 2020 the McClymonts released "I Got This", followed by "Open Heart" in May as the lead singles from their sixth studio album, Mayhem to Madness , issued on 12 June. At the 2020 ARIA Music Awards in November, the group were part of an all-female ensemble, which performed, " I Am Woman ", in tribute of recently deceased Australian-born, US-based singer-songwriter, Helen Reddy . Brooke married country singer Adam Eckersley on 17 October 2009. They had
2145-450: The contemporary country classic " Boys From the Bush ") and sister Tania Kernaghan , Melinda Schneider , Gina Jeffreys , Beccy Cole , Felicity Urquhart , Shannon Noll , Tracy Coster , Sara Storer , and brother Doug Storer. Sara Storer's award-winning second album Beautiful Circle prompted Melbourne's The Age newspaper to report that "As we lament the death of Slim Dusty , here
2200-1058: The country music and radio charts. On 16 August 2006 the group performed at the ARIA Hall of Fame Induction at The Regent in Melbourne performing the song " Delta Dawn " by ARIA Hall of Fame inductee Helen Reddy . The band ended the year by touring with the Australian Defence Force's Tour deForce 6, performing a New Year's Eve concert at Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates in front of deployed Australian, New Zealand and Canadian troops. In February 2007 The McClymonts went to Nashville to record and write their first studio album Chaos and Bright Lights with writers such as Monty Powell ( Keith Urban ), Eric Silver ( Dixie Chicks ), Trey Bruce ( LeAnn Rimes ), Nathan Chapman, Steve Diamond ( Lonestar ) and Frank Myers. In Australia they wrote with Rod McCormack and recording artist Shane Nicholson. The album
2255-468: The genre include Paul Kelly and Tex Perkins . Popular songs include When the Rain Tumbles Down in July (1946), Waltzing Matilda (1895), Pub With No Beer (1957), Lights on the Hill (1973), I Honestly Love You (1974), True Blue (1981), Boys From the Bush (1992), and Not Pretty Enough (2002). Australia has a long tradition of country music , which has developed
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2310-497: The historic Grand Ole Opry three times in the year. The McClymonts' third studio album, Two Worlds Collide , was released on 18 May 2012 in Australia. It peaked at number 7 on Australia Music Chart. At the 26th ARIA Music Awards, it won the award for Best Country Album. In 2013 it won Video Clip of the Year and Top Selling Album of the Year at the Country Music Awards of Australia. The McClymonts began 2014 with
2365-570: The influence of rock and roll forms. While some subject matter may be constant, musical styles differ between traditional and contemporary bush ballads. Exemplars of the traditional bush ballad style include Slim Dusty 's " When the Rain Tumbles Down in July " or "Leave Him in the Long Yard" which have strong narrative in verses plus choruses set to a pick n' strum beat. Contemporary bush ballads may employ finger picking and strumming rock styles as in Lee Kernaghan 's later version of "Leave Him in
2420-430: The multi millions, he and other successful Australian country artists were rarely heard on air outside regional centres in Australia until the new cross-over pop-country styles of the 1990s began to be heard again on city airwaves. In 1951, country singer-songwriter Reg Lindsay began broadcasting on Sydney radio and remained on air for 12 years. In 1964 he took over Channel 9 's The Country & Western Hour , which
2475-699: The nation. He was named Songmaker of the Year by the Tamworth Songwriters Association (TSA), and in 2000. won their Tex Morton Award and the Outback Trailblazer Award. He was a winner of a Golden Guitar Award Winner, and in 1999 was inducted into the Australian Country Music Roll of Renown at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. In 2001, he was honoured with an Order of Australia Medal. Country music has been particularly popular among
2530-501: The release of a single entitled "Going Under (Didn't Have To)" on 17 January 2014. The release coincided with the annual Tamworth Country Music Festival where the group hosted the 42nd Annual Country Music Association of Australia Awards. "Going Under (Didn't Have To)" debuted at No. 91 on the ARIA Singles Chart on 24 January 2014 and went on to reach No. 1 on both The Music Network Official Australian Country Airplay Chart and
2585-746: The rest of 2014 and the first half of 2015 touring Australia. The band were awarded Highest Selling Australian Album of the Year and Group or Duo of the Year at the CMAA Golden Guitar Awards held in Tamworth in January 2015. They also won Group of the Year at Country Music Channel Awards held in Brisbane in March 2015. They were nominated for Country Album of the Year at the 2014 ARIA Awards while "Going Under (Didn't Have To)" and "Here's to You & I" were both nominated for Country Work of
2640-492: The year 2000 and was given the honour of singing Waltzing Matilda in the closing ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games . Dusty was accorded a state funeral upon his death and with over 7 million Australian record sales he remains Australia's most successful domestic music artist. Slim Dusty's wife Joy McKean penned several of his most popular songs including "Indian Pacific", "The Biggest Disappointment" and " Lights on
2695-476: Was a Sydney-based program, defunct since 2020; past programs are available on podcast services. ) Two Worlds Collide (album) Two Worlds Collide is the third studio album by Australian country band The McClymonts , released in Australia on 18 May 2012 by Universal Records . It won at the 2012 ARIA Music Awards for Best Country Album. The first single from Two Worlds Collide , "How Long Have You Known" on YouTube , went to number one on
2750-557: Was known as the "King of Australian Country Music", and helped to popularise the Australian bush ballad . His successful career spanned almost six decades and his 1957 hit " A Pub With No Beer " 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. Dusty remains Australia's most successful and prolific performer, and won more Gold and Platinum albums than any other Australian artist. Dusty recorded and released his one-hundredth album in
2805-541: Was networked around Australia and ran for seven and a half years. Soon after the show was replaced with Reg Lindsay's Country Homestead from Brisbane. The show gave hundreds of young artists a boost and helped to boost the Australian country music industry. Another enduring talent of Australian country music has been Chad Morgan , who began recording in the 1950s and is known for his vaudeville style of comic Australian country and western songs, his prominent teeth and goofy stage persona. In reference to his first recording he
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#17327988366522860-473: Was only later published in print in volumes such as Banjo Paterson 's Old Bush Songs , in the 1890s. " Waltzing Matilda ", often regarded as Australia's unofficial national anthem , is a quintessential early Australian country song, influenced more by Celtic folk ballads than by US country and western music. The lyrics were composed by the poet Banjo Paterson in 1895. This strain of Australian country music, with lyrics focusing on strictly Australian subjects,
2915-641: Was released in Australia on 15 January 2010, entering the Australian albums chart at number 2, and remaining on the chart for 14 weeks. At the 24th ARIA Music Awards , the group won the award in the Best Country Album category. The McClymonts extensively toured the US during 2011, promoting the American release of Wrapped Up Good . They toured and opened for American country artist Jason Aldean . They also made appearances opening for Lady Antebellum , Kellie Pickler and Ozzy Osbourne . They played at
2970-635: Was released on 12 November 2007 in Australia and peaked at number thirty-seven on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart . At the ARIA Music Awards of 2008 , Chaos and Bright Lights was nominated for Best Country Album. The album was released in the US on 17 August 2010 via Executive Music Group . The McClymonts recorded their second album Wrapped Up Good in Nashville in late 2009 with producer Adam Anders . The album
3025-422: Was the first of many popular songs employing Australian slang . In 1982 he released " True Blue " and subsequent works including Mallee Boy , the lyrical "Galleries of Pink Galahs" and reworkings of Australian bush ballads and folk songs earned him a permanent position as leading exponent of Australian country and folk music. In 1970, Tamworth's Radio 2TM organised the landmark Bicentennial Concert to mark
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