Over the course of his career, he collected more gold and platinum albums than any other Australian artist.
Dusty not only recorded songs written by himself and other fellow Australian performers, but also recorded 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 1971 he won Best Single at the Australian Country Music Awards at the Tamworth Country Music Festival (Slim's wife Joy McKean won Song of the Year as writer of the song for which he won best single). In all, he won a record 35 "Golden Guitars" over the years.
He died at home in St Ives, New South Wales on 19 September 2003 after a protracted battle with cancer, at age 76.
The Slim Dusty Story started back in the 1940s on a remote dairy farm in the hills behind Kempsey, NSW, when a 10-year-old boy dreamed of being a country music singer. His name was David Gordon Kirkpatrick... he called himself "Slim Dusty" and began to live that dream.
But even the most optimistic farm boy would never have imagined the life that was to unfold... a life that would establish Slim as the voice of the nation, the chronicler of Australian history in song.
Slim managed to hold on to those early visions of writing and singing about the bush because during his lengthy career, he always stayed in touch with his audience. And he did this in a very real and meaningful way, so much so that his fans would feel that Slim was one of their mates and his songs "just a good yarn you might hear from a mate at the pub, around a campfire in the bush or at a back yard barbie".
He described his music as "songs about real Australians... "I have to be fair dinkum with my audience. I can't see any other way of doing it," he said. "You have to believe in what you are singing about."
Slim Dusty was the first Australian to have a number one hit record and the only Australian to ever receive a 78rpm Gold Record (for A Pub With No Beer in 1958)...
He was the first Australian to have an international record hit and the first singer in the world to have his voice beamed to earth from space (astronauts Bob Crippen and John Young played Slim's recording of Waltzing Matilda from the space shuttle "Columbia" as it passed over Australia back in 1983).
During an amazingly successful career spanning over six decades, Slims' continued popularity saw him rewarded with more Gold and Platinum Awards for sales of his singles, eight-tracks, cassettes, CD's, videos and DVDs... more than any other Australian artist!
He received an unequaled 37 Golden Guitar Awards, two ARIA's (Australian Recording Industry Association awards), inductions into the ARIA Hall of Fame and the Australian Country Music Roll of Renown.
Slim was recognized for his long time services to Australian entertainment with an MBE and an Order of Australia. In 1999, Prime Minister John Howard named Slim Dusty Australia's Father of the Year and Senior Australian of the Year. There were many other awards and honors... too many to name here!
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.
Cunnamulla Feller
Slim Dusty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I live on damper and wallaby stew
I've got a big cattle dog with a staghound cross
I never saw the scrubber we couldn't toss
'Cause I'm the Feller from Cunnamulla
Yes I'm the Cunnamulla Feller
Now once when I was drovin' on the cattle trails
I met a little girl her name was Ada Vale
And we'll settle down in Augathella"
I'll be the Feller at Augathella
Yes I'll be the Augathella Feller
Oh, she said her daddy's name was Charley Ville
She had a lot of kiddies and a lot of bills
So I grabbed my horse that was nice and handy
And I never stopped till I reached Dirranbandi
I was the dandy at Dirranbandi
Yes I was the Dirranbandi Dandy
Now in my moleskin trousers and my Williams boots
Aboard an outlaw as he leaves the chutes
In my goose neck spurs I rake their fiery hide
And the girls all shouting around the ringside
Oh he's the Feller from Cunnamulla
Yeah he's the Cunnamulla Feller
Now I've done a little fightin' in the western bars
Done a little lovin' neath the moon and stars
I wear bright clothes and shirts full of colour
And the girls know me as that certain feller
Yes he's the Feller from Cunnamulla
Yes he's the Cunnamulla Feller
Oh he's the Cunnamulla Feller
Yes he's the Cunnamulla Feller
Contributed: Marten Busstra 2009]
The lyrics of Slim Dusty's song "Cunnamulla Feller" tell the story of a man who is proud of his rural way of life, describing himself as a "scrubber, runner and a breaker too" who lives on "damper and wallaby stew," and who has a big cattle dog that can handle anything. He recounts how he once met a woman named Ada Vale and proposed to her, but when he learned that she had a lot of children and bills, he decided to keep moving and eventually became known as the "Feller from Cunnamulla." He goes on to boast about his skill as a rodeo rider and his reputation with the ladies, wearing bright clothes and shirts full of color.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I'm a scrubber, runner and a breaker too
I am a jack of all trades, skilled in many tasks such as scrubbing, running, and breaking things.
I live on damper and wallaby stew
My diet mainly consists of damper and wallaby stew.
I've got a big cattle dog with a staghound cross
I have a large cattle dog that is part staghound.
I never saw the scrubber we couldn't toss
I am so skilled at scrubbing that I have never encountered one that I could not handle.
'Cause I'm the Feller from Cunnamulla
I am known as the Feller from Cunnamulla.
Yes I'm the Cunnamulla Feller
Yes, I am the Feller from Cunnamulla.
Now once when I was drovin' on the cattle trails
One time while I was leading a herd of cattle on a trail.
I met a little girl her name was Ada Vale
I encountered a young lady by the name of Ada Vale.
I said "Marry me Ada and I'll be the feller
I proposed to Ada, saying that if she married me, I would be the perfect partner.
And we'll settle down in Augathella"
We would make our home in Augathella.
I'll be the Feller at Augathella
I would be known as the Feller in Augathella.
Yes I'll be the Augathella Feller
Yes, in Augathella, I would be known as the Feller.
Oh, she said her daddy's name was Charley Ville
She revealed that her father's name was Charley Ville.
She had a lot of kiddies and a lot of bills
She had many children to support and many expenses to pay.
So I grabbed my horse that was nice and handy
I quickly mounted my horse that was nearby.
And I never stopped till I reached Dirranbandi
I rode without stopping until I reached Dirranbandi.
I was the dandy at Dirranbandi
In Dirranbandi, I was known as the dandy.
Yes I was the Dirranbandi Dandy
Indeed, in Dirranbandi, I was known as the dandy.
Now in my moleskin trousers and my Williams boots
I wear moleskin trousers and Williams boots.
Aboard an outlaw as he leaves the chutes
I ride an outlaw horse as it is released from the chutes.
In my goose neck spurs I rake their fiery hide
Using my goose neck spurs, I forcefully make contact with their fiery hide.
And the girls all shouting around the ringside
Women in the crowd are cheering me on at the rodeo.
Oh he's the Feller from Cunnamulla
People at the rodeo know me as the Feller from Cunnamulla.
Yeah he's the Cunnamulla Feller
Yes, I am known as the Cunnamulla Feller.
Now I've done a little fightin' in the western bars
I have been in a few fights in bars in the western region.
Done a little lovin' neath the moon and stars
I have had some romantic encounters under the moon and stars.
I wear bright clothes and shirts full of colour
I wear vibrant and colorful clothing.
And the girls know me as that certain feller
The women all know me as that special guy.
Yes he's the Feller from Cunnamulla
I am the well-known Feller from Cunnamulla.
Yes he's the Cunnamulla Feller
Yes, I am the famous Cunnamulla Feller.
Oh he's the Cunnamulla Feller
Oh, I am the Cunnamulla Feller.
Yes he's the Cunnamulla Feller
Yes, I am the Cunnamulla Feller.
Contributed by Molly S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sandra
on One Truckie's Epitaph
My brother Terry Radke was the man Slim wrote the song for after he received a letter from Terry's youngest son, Lync. Thank you
Charley Boyter
on Axe Mark On a Gidgee
With horsebells to keep me company
Jake
on Your Country's Been Sold
You say you belong to Australia my friend
And rightly you’d die for this land to defend
But let us be honest, it’s sad but it’s true
Australia my friend doesn’t belong to you
Our country’s been sold by the powers that be
To big wealthy nations way over the sea
We couldn’t be taken by bayonets or lead
And so they decided to buy us instead
And talking of wars and the blood that was spilled
The widows, the crippled, the ones that were killed
And I often wonder if their ghosts can see
What’s happening now to their native country
I wonder if ghosts of the fallen can see
The crime and corruption and vast poverty
With a lost generation of youth on the dole
Who drift on life’s ocean without any goal
I once had a dream of our country so grand
The rivers outback irrigated the land
With towns and canals in that wasteland out there
And big inland cities with work everywhere
With profit from farming and factory and mine
Was used to develop a nation so fine
Then I woke from my dream into reality
That the wealth of our nation goes over the sea
Yeah you say you belong to Australia my friend
And rightly you’d die for this land to defend
But let us be honest, it’s sad but it’s true
Australia my friend doesn’t belong to you