This brilliant jacket certainly fits the story of its former owner the country musician Tex Morton (1916-1983), born in 1916 as Robert William Lane. Robert or ‘Bobby’ began busking at 14 before recording several albums in Wellington, New Zealand. These are believed to be the first country music recordings made outside of America. In the […]
Shown below is a 1980s stage outfit worn by Kamilaroi performer Col Hardy (1940-). You could say its style is ‘a little bit country’ and ‘a little rock ’n’ roll’. Homemade, the plain white satin shirt is embellished with crystal beads, diamantes, and pearl buttons. The matching polyester trousers are belted, and the sparkly decorative […]
You see some of them get up there now and they’ve got holes in their jeans! Argh. —Zeta Burns For this yodelling cowgirl, it’s no secret that looking her best on stage is almost as important as sounding good. Zeta recalls a teacher’s advice to, “Always dress the part, always dress nicely. Even if you get […]
An unassuming piece of history stands on High Street, Morpeth. The once-thriving Astor Picture Palace and Ballroom was always alive with activity during its heyday in the 1930s. Locals gathered there for flower shows, choir practice, mid-week dances and the annual debutante ball, among other events. On quieter occasions the busy dancefloor gave way to […]
Despite his spectacular rise as a world-class boxer, there were things that the unbeatable Les Darcy (1895-1917) still looked to learn. His trainer ‘Gentleman’ Dave Smith showed him the ‘art’ of boxing and tips like wrapping ones’ hands before putting on gloves. He also focused on ‘finishing touches’ like dressing-up for a formal reception. Soon […]
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