HE’S been a long time gone but Albury is always home to Australian country music star Lee Kernaghan.
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Although he was born up the Murray at Corryong, Kernaghan is an Albury boy through and through.
“I spent too many years there, there's too much history, it's always home,” the 2008 Australian of the Year says.
”I brought out a book earlier this year (The Boy From The Bush, These Are My Songs, These Are My Stories) about growing up in the Riverina and on the Murray.
“I can still picture us sitting in the driveway of our house in Dallinger Road listening to the master recording of my song with Slim Dusty of Leave Him in the Long Yard.
“We didn't have a good stereo in the house so we all piled into the car to hear the tape.”
And he enjoys getting back to the country and to where it all began.
With hit album after hit album such as Outback Club, Three Chain Road, 1959 and Beautiful Noise Kernaghan opted for a change of direction this year with his moving Spirit Of The Anzacs release.
A visit to the Australian War Memorial touched Kernaghan deeply, which he translated into the new album and national The Songs and The Stories Tour.
“There’s a section at the War Memorial where you can read letters and diaries, and just reading them I began to hear music in my head,” he says.
“What followed was two years of research, I worked closely with the people in the history department at the Australian War Memorial to guarantee the authenticity of my songs.
“At the heart of every song is a true story and I wanted to stay faithful to the men and women who wrote the letters.
“They’re not songs about war but songs about love and family and mateship and valour.”
With more than two million album sales under his belt as well as more than 30 Golden Guitars, three ARIA awards, an Order of Australia Medal and dozens on number one hits, Border music fans are sure to embrace Kernaghan’s latest show.
His concert comes to the Albury Entertainment Centre on November 4, and opens with his hits but part two focuses on the Anzac album.
It tells stories from the first World War through to Afghanistan.
“The Albury Entertainment Centre has got a high ceiling so we’re able to put the whole production in, I’m so honoured to be able to bring this show to Albury,” Kernaghan says, “… I did my very first show in Albury.”
It is always good when an old boy from the bush comes back to town.
