Who was Slim Dusty?
Slim Dusty was an Australian country music legend, famous for the song A Pub With No Beer. Over a career spanning more than 60 years, he recorded more than 100 albums and became known as the King of Australian Country Music.
Slim Dusty was the stage name of David Gordon Kirkpatrick, born in Kempsey, New South Wales, in 1927. He wrote his first song at the age of ten and adopted the name Slim Dusty as a teenager.
In 1957, his recording of A Pub With No Beer became a huge hit, reaching the charts in Australia and the United Kingdom. It was one of the first Australian songs to achieve international success.
Bush ballads
Slim Dusty's songs told stories of outback life, truck drivers, drovers and country towns. He toured extensively, traveling to remote communities with his wife, singer Joy McKean.
He won many Golden Guitar awards at the Tamworth Country Music Festival and was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
Slim Dusty performed Waltzing Matilda at the closing ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics. He died in 2003. The Slim Dusty Centre in Kempsey celebrates his life and music.