Fed: Country music legend Smoky Dawson dead at 94

AAP General News (Australia)
02-14-2008
Fed: Country music legend Smoky Dawson dead at 94

Eds; closes off earlier

SYDNEY, Feb 14 AAP - Country music legend Smoky Dawson has died at the age of 94, after
a short illness.

A spokeswoman for the Australian Country Music Foundation said Dawson passed away yesterday
at 5.15pm (AEDT) in Sydney.

He is survived by his wife Dot.

"He had been ill for the past six days," Dee Giles told AAP.

"There will be a private service for family and friends held in Sydney, and that's
strictly private because of his wife Dot, who turns 102 this year and she's very frail.

"But there will be a public memorial in a few weeks time."

Dawson, born Herbert Henry Dawson in Melbourne in 1913, began his musical career in
1934 and became a household name in Victoria through a live radio show on 3UZ.

He recorded dozens of albums and hosted the radio show The Adventures of Smoky Dawson from 1952.

Dawson was elevated to the Country Music Roll of Renown in 1978 and in 1993 the Australian
Country Music Foundation was created in Tamworth, citing him as a direct inspiration.

In 2005 he was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

Philip Mortlock, the managing director of Origin Records, Dawson's record label, said
it was time to celebrate the life of an Australian legend.

"It is a very sad day, but I have to say that Smoky brought a lot of joy to a lot of
people for many years," Mr Mortlock told Sky News.

"While it is a sad day, his passing for me, I think it's time to celebrate a great
life and a great man."

AAP acb/sp

KEYWORD: DAWSON LEAD (FILE PIX)

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