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Vale JOY McKEAN
14th Jan 1930 – 25th May 2023
With heavy and sad hearts we advise the passing of Joy McKean OAM. Joy passed away peacefully last night with family by her side after a long battle with cancer. She will be remembered as a pioneer in Australian music.
Joy McKean was a multi-award winning songwriter and musician who wrote many of her husband Slim Dusty’s most famous songs and won the first Golden Guitar awarded at the Tamworth Country Music Festival for ‘Lights on the Hill’. Her musical partnership with Slim produced over 100 albums, sold over 8 million albums and earned 45 Golden Guitars. Joy was Slim’s manager, ran the business and most importantly loved and raised the family.
Joy is survived by her children Anne Kirkpatrick and David Kirkpatrick, 4 grandchildren, and 6 great grandchildren.
The family requests privacy during this difficult time.
Quotes from over the years:
“Joy is a national treasure.” – Troy Cassar-Daley
“Quite simply, one of our greatest songwriters.” – Paul Kelly
“Joy McKean has been the backbone of so much of the Australian country music industry.” – Kasey Chambers
“They say behind every great man is a great woman, but I say in Slim’s case, she was right beside him.” – Keith Urban
“Singer, songwriter, travelling performer before all that was invented…Joy has lived a life so far unlike any other.” – Don Walker
“Joy McKean is a trailblazer – an inspiration…” – Lee Kernaghan OAM
“Australia had a great mate in Slim, because he had such a great mate in Joy.” – Beccy Cole
Documentary film:
2020 Slim & I
Books written:
1996 Slim, Another Day Another Town
2011 I’ve Been There and Back Again
2014 Riding This Road
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Photo – John Elliott
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AMNPLIFY – DB
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My nickname is “The Amnplifier”. Why? Because around here my focus is on being a conduit for providing greater outcomes that people come here for. My day to day “work” is living in the moment, and I love helping others concentrate on finding their connection to themselves through their experiences.
Why start a music environment? The truth is I love music, I love writing, and I love life. I work with musicians every day, and I feel certain that I will be until they put me in the ground. I have been managing people in businesses of some sort for over thirty five years so along the way I have developed some “wisdom” from my regular and constant “observations”.
Amnplify your experience. That is what we want you to do here, and if you want to let me know why you do, or don’t, shoot me a message on Facebook.
Hope you enjoy yourself here and find something that hits you somewhere.
