Australian country music star Smoky Dawson has died aged 94.
Born in the suburbs of Melbourne, he was raised in the rural area of Warrnambool, but lost his parents at an early age and spent some years in an orphanage. During the second world war he served with the Australian Entertainment Unit, and in 1944 married his lifelong partner Florence 'Dot' Cheers. The couple went to the US for some time to record, and to appear on long running radio programme Grand Ole Opry. It was in the fifties, however, that Dawson became a household name in Australia when he started his radio show, 'The Adventures Of Smoky Dawson', which aired for ten years on 69 stations across Australia.
Awarded an MBE for services to music, and inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, Dawson was the oldest recording artist in the world at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife Dot.
James Treloar, mayor of Tamworth (Australia's 'country music capital') offered this tribute: "The loss of Smoky Dawson is a sad day for Tamworth, the Country Music Industry and Australia. Smoky was a treasured icon and legend who brought so much joy to so many, his memory and recordings will live on within country music".