Mural celebrates pioneering star behind Australian country hits

Tamworth, Australia's country music capital, now boasts a vibrant mural celebrating the enduring legacy of Joy McKean, a pioneering songwriter and musician. Titled 'Ode to Joy,' the artwork at Tamworth's Town Hall immortalizes McKean's iconic song 'Lights on the Hill,' a testament to her songwriting prowess that continues to resonate decades after its 1970s release.

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The fact that the song has lasted and everyone sings it still, after she wrote it in the early 70s, it's a testimony to the great song.

McKean's daughter, Anne Kirkpatrick, expressed her pride and hope that the mural would remind viewers of the immense impact her parents, Joy McKean and Slim Dusty, had on establishing country music in Australia. "She was a great songwriter and an incredible person," Kirkpatrick said of her mother. "I hope they go back to the history of country music and realise that Slim and Joy played an enormous part in pioneering country music in Australia."

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She was a great songwriter and an incredible person. I hope they go back to the history of country music and realise that Slim and Joy played an enormous part in pioneering country music in Australia.

The mural, created by artist Charlie Nivison, captures McKean's spirit, depicting her singing joyfully and including a portrait with her husband, Slim Dusty. Nivison collaborated with McKean's children to ensure the artwork accurately reflected their mother's essence. "I'm totally overwhelmed; he's [Nivison] just captured the spirit of my mum and my dad in this mural, it's an incredible piece of work," Kirkpatrick added, describing it as "so beautiful, so vibrant and alive."

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I'm totally overwhelmed; he's [Nivison] just captured the spirit of my mum and my dad in this mural, it's an incredible piece of work.

Adding another layer to the artwork's story, the mural replaces a previous one painted by Nivison's father, Angus, in 1983. The commission funded Angus's journey to meet his future wife, making the site a place of significant family history. "The money dad earned from doing the commission in '83 allowed him to travel to go see mum overseas when he proposed," Nivison shared. "It was the wall that allowed him to go chase mum. Who knows if I'd be here if it wasn't for the wall, the council and this mural."

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It's so beautiful, it's so vibrant and alive, you can almost hear the music coming out of it.