Smoky Dawson
| Smoky Dawson | |
|---|---|
Smoky Dawson astride Flash at his ranch, Terrey Hills, August 1962.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Herbert Henry Brown |
| Also known as | Herbert Henry Dawson |
| Born |
19 March 1913 Collingwood, Victoria, Australia |
| Origin | Australian |
| Died | 13 February 2008 (aged 94) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter, guitarist, radio and TV presenter |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano accordion |
| Years active | 1932–2005 |
| Labels | Fidelity, Columbia |
| Associated acts | The Coral Island Boys, Smoky and the Pepsodent Rangers, Smokey and His Boys, Smokey and the Five Star Rangers, Slim Dusty. Tex Morton, Buddy Williams |
| Notable instruments | |
| Acoustic steel guitar/classical acoustic. | |
Smoky Dawson AM MBE (19 March 1913 – 13 February 2008) born as Herbert "Herb" Henry Brown, was an Australian country music performer, radio star, entertainer, and icon. He was widely touted as Australia's first singing cowboy complete with acoustic steel string guitar and yodel, in the style of American Gene Autry: Dawson had an extraordinarily long and prolific career, releasing his first single in 1941 and his last album in 2005, aged 92, making him at the time the world's oldest recording artist (now surpassed by Dame Vera Lynn who released an album aged 97, in 2014). Through his high-rating syndicated radio serials (at their height broadcast on 100 stations) television appearances, comic books and songs he created the persona of a happy-go-lucky singing cowboy". An Australian institution, he continued to perform and march in annual ANZAC day ceremonies right up to his death a month shy of his 95th birthday.
Smoky Dawson was born as Herbert Henry Brown on 19 March 1913 in Collingwood, Victoria. His father, Parker Frederick Peter Brown (21 November 1884 – 1957), was a labourer of Irish descent; his mother, Olive "Amy" Muir (ca. 1880 – June 1919), was of Scottish descent. His parents married in 1905, and they had five children, Leslie Muir Wood "Les" (1904–1920), Laura Olive Emily (1906–1941), Peter Frederick James (1908–1972), Herbert Henry "Herbie", and Edward Parker Peter "Ted" (aka Ted Dawson) (1915–1978). The Browns initially lived in Melbourne and briefly moved to the rural area of Warrnambool. His father, Parker Brown, also worked in a dispensary, and had performed as a baritone under the name, Frederick Parker, at the Bijou in Melbourne. Parker had studied as a medical student before serving in World War I. He enlisted in the Australian Army in June 1915 and fought at Gallipoli from October until January 1916. He was diagnosed with neurasthenia and was discharged in August 1916 on medical grounds. Dawson later remembered, "[m]y dad went to Gallipoli ... but unfortunately he suffered a lot from it and so did the family". In June 1919 his mother, Amy, died of unspecified causes and the following year his brother, Les, died by drowning on Christmas Day. By that time his father had remarried.
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