Shirley ThomsPrint Page 
The bust commemorates singer, Shirley Thoms (1925 - 1999).
Born on January 12, 1925, at Toowoomba in Queensland, Shirley, was raised in a family of seven children. She was to become a pioneer of Australia's country music industry. Known in later years as "Australia's Yodelling Sweetheart", Shirley held the distinctions of being the first female solo act to record country music in Australia, the first Queenslander to be featured on disc and the first female to be elevated to the Country Music Roll of Renown.
She started her career singing and yodelling Tex Morton and Harry Torrani songs and entered a Bundaberg talent quest, which she won, with Torrani's Mockingbird Yodel. Businessman Bill Cook saw Shirley performing and approached her parents to see if he could help her build a professional singing career. He was to encourage Shirley to write her own songs and to learn how to play guitar.
At the age of 16 (in 1941), Shirley went to Sydney and recorded for the now famous red and green label Regal Zonophone under the guidance of then Artist and Repertoire manager, Arch Kerr. One of her most famous songs, "Faithful Old Dog", emerged from her first batch of recordings. Shirley toured with George Sorlie's variety shows and, during the war, entertained armed forces throughout Australia and New Zealand. During this period, she kept on writing songs and recording and later toured with Sole Bros Circus where she met her first husband John Sole.
After recording several "sides" for the Rodeo label, Shirley gave up show business for home and family, but tragedy struck with the premature death of her husband John. The couple had only one child, a son, Peter.
In 1970, Shirley was encouraged by Tamworth radio station 2TM to come out of retirement and appear on the historic Captain Cook Bicentenary Show in the Tamworth Town Hall. This was to spur a brief re-emergence of Shirley's career as Eric Scott of Hadley Records signed her to a recording contract. She recorded two albums with Hadley, the first released in 1970, the second in 1972.
In her later years, Shirley battled Parkinson's Disease and a heart condition. During this period she spent a lot of time writing poetry.
Location
| Address: | Kable Avenue, Bicentennial Park, Tamworth, 2340 |
|---|---|
| State: | NSW |
| Area: | Australia |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -31.093875 Long: 150.930512 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Sculpture |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Arts |
| Artist: | Wayne Strickland |
Dedication
Shirley Thoms
"Australia`s yodelling sweetheart"
12. 1. 1925 - 1. 7. 1999
Born in Toowoomba, Queensland Shirley Joyce Thoms was the first female country singer / songwriter from QLD to record solo in 1941 for Regal Zonophone. Later for Rodeo & the Hadley labels.
Her most popular songs were the Faithful Old Dog, Where The Golden Wattle Blooms & Yodelling In The Moonlight.
She toured Australia with her music paving the way for other female artists to follow.
A gift from the country music fraternity to Tamworth and all who visit.
Sculpted by Wayne Strickland
