The Queen of Australian Country Music passes away at 93

Tweet

Australia lost one of its country music icons when Joy McKean passed away a few days ago. She was the wife of Slim Dusty, who was given a State funeral when he died in 2003, such was his status. However, Joy was a very talented song-writer and singer in her own right and wrote many of the songs made famous by her husband. They travelled thousands of miles touring cities and small outback towns and communities all over Australia. They travelled thousands of miles touring cities and small outback towns and communities all over Australia. At the Tamworth Country Music Festival in 1973, she won the first Golden Guitar award for Lights on the Hill. The song was inspired by her experience towing a heavy caravan up Devil’s Pinch in New South Wales. Joy wore a caliper on one leg after contracting polio as a girl and could only use one foot to operate the brake or the headlight dimmer switch. Trucks would use high beam to see where the next bend was and the lights were likely to blind the driver of vehicles coming the other way. Between them, they produced over 100 albums, sold over 8 million copies and earned 45 Golden Guitars. Vale Joy, and, as @FourWalls would say, thanks for the music. I think, if you cut and paste the following, you can listen to the song. Slim Dusty - Lights On The Hill - Bing video