Rex Dallas (born November 1938) born as Frederick Amos Doble, is an Australian country musician, singer, songwriter, yodeller and bush balladeer. His albums also include selections of horse songs, war songs, mother songs and even one on the theme of coalmining.

Rex Dallas
Birth nameFrederick Amos Doble
Born (1938-11-06) 6 November 1938 (age 86)
Wallerawang, NSW Australia [1]
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • yodeller
  • bush balladeer
Years active1953–present
LabelsEMI Records, Hadley Records

Early life

edit

Dallas was born as Frederick Amos Doble in Wallerawang, a small mining town near Lithgow NSW. Dallas inherited a love of bush poetry through a close friendship with his grandfather, who regularly read poems to him.[2]

Career

edit

Dallas first appeared on local radio 2LT Lithgow, at the age of 15. One year later, he relocated to Sydney. He later toured with Lee "Stubby" Gordon and made his first single 'Bicycle Wreck' for EMI Records in 1960. From the early 1970s, Dallas toured extensively, accompanied by his band, the Dallas Cowboys. In 1981, Dallas featured in a television documentary about his touring show. When not touring with his country show, he regularly entertained at his own venue, Gully Park, in Moonbi, northern NSW.

Personal life

edit

Rex married Adrienne Francis James in 1961. They have four sons - Brett, Colin, Jeffrey and Shannan. In 1989, Dallas purchased “Gully Park” property in Moonbi, near Tamworth NSW. In 2010, they sold "Gully Park" and bought a residence in Manilla NSW. His granddaughter Ashleigh Dallas is also a country singer songwriter and musician .[3]

Discography

edit

Albums

edit
List of albums
Title Details
The Harry Torrani Yodelling Album
  • Released: 1975
  • Label: Hadley Records (HLP 1223)
  • Format: LP, Cassette
The Harry Torrani Yodelling Album Vol.2
  • Released: 1975
  • Label: Hadley Records (HLP 1224)
  • Format: LP, Cassette
In the Days When I Was Me
  • Released: 1976
  • Label: Hadley Records (HLP 1226)
  • Format: LP, Cassette
I Love the Old Bush Ballad Songs
  • Released: 1977
  • Label: Hadley Records (HLP 1234)
  • Format: LP, Cassette
Old Wallerawang
  • Released: 1978
  • Label: Hadley Records (HLP 1239)
  • Format: LP, Cassette
Here's to the Song Writer
  • Released: 1979
  • Label: Hadley Records (HLP 1244)
  • Format: LP, Cassette
Yodelling Mad
  • Released: 1979
  • Label: Hadley Records (HLP 1255)
  • Format: LP, Cassette
Buckjump and Saddle Tales
  • Released: 1981
  • Label: Hadley Records (HLP 1262)
  • Format: LP, Cassette
Remembering Those Hillbilly Hits
  • Released: 1982
  • Label: Hadley Records (HLP 1267)
  • Format: LP, Cassette
Mothers Flower Garden
  • Released: 1982
  • Label: Hadley Records (HLP 1275)
  • Format: LP, Cassette
Easy Lovin'
  • Released: 1984
  • Label: Hadley Records (HLP 1280)
  • Format: LP, Cassette
Born to the Saddle
  • Released: 1984
  • Label: Hadley Records (HLP 1284)
  • Format: LP, Cassette
For Valour
  • Released: 1985
  • Label: Hadley Records (HLP 1288)
  • Format: LP, Cassette
Duelling Yodellers (with Owen Blundell)
  • Released: 1988
  • Label: Briar Records (BLP 2)
  • Format: LP, Cassette
We Dig Coal
  • Released: 1990
  • Label: Sundown Records (SUN 0420)
  • Format: LP, Cassette, CD
Heart Lands
  • Released: 1994
  • Label: Hadley Records (HCDM 1310)
  • Format: CD
Songs of My Country
  • Released: 1995
  • Label: LBS Records (LBS022CD)
  • Format: CD
24 Harry Torrani
  • Released: 1996
  • Label: Hadley Records (HCDM 1314)
  • Format: CD
Show Boat Kalang
  • Released: 2018
  • Label: William Osland Consulting (7652935)
  • Format: CD

Awards

edit

Australian Roll of Renown

edit

The Australian Roll of Renown honours Australian and New Zealander musicians who have shaped the music industry by making a significant and lasting contribution to Country Music. It was inaugurated in 1976 and the inductee is announced at the Country Music Awards of Australia in Tamworth in January.[4][2]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2000 Rex Dallas Australian Roll of Renown inductee

Country Music Awards of Australia

edit

The Country Music Awards of Australia (CMAA) (also known as the Golden Guitar Awards) is an annual awards night held in January during the Tamworth Country Music Festival, celebrating recording excellence in the Australian country music industry. They have been held annually since 1973.[5][6]

Year Nominee / work Award Result (wins only)
1975 Old Wallerawang EP of the Year Won
1976 "My Lancashire Yodelling Lass" Male Vocalist of the Year Won
1977 himself Hands of Fame imprinted
1982 "His Spurs Are Rusty Now" (with Colin Dallas) APRA Song of the Year Won
1992 "The Western Main" Heritage Award Won

Tamworth Songwriters Awards

edit

The Tamworth Songwriters Association (TSA) is an annual songwriting contest for original country songs, awarded in January at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. They commenced in 1986.[7][8]

Year Nominee / work Award Result (wins only)
2001 Rex Dallas Songmaker Award awarded

References

edit
  1. ^ "Rex Dallas". countrymusichalloffame.com.au. Archived from the original on 3 March 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Rex Dallas - Biography - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  3. ^ "Bio". Ashleigh Dallas. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  4. ^ "Roll of Renown". Tamworth Country Music Festival. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  5. ^ "Past Award Winners". Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  6. ^ "A golden guitar, and Ashleigh Dallas is cruising at Tamworth". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 January 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  7. ^ "Tamworth Songwriters Association". Tamworth Songwriters Association Online. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  8. ^ "Tamworth Songwriters Association Past Winners". Tamworth Songwriters Association Online. Retrieved 23 March 2022.