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Jimmy Little Print Page Print this page

21-January-2016
21-January-2016

Photographs supplied by Sandra Brown
The portrait bust commemorates Jimmy Little (1937 - 2012), an Australian Aboriginal musician, actor and teacher from the Yorta Yorta people who was raised on the Cummeragunja Mission, New South Wales.

From 1951 he had a career as a singer-songwriter and guitarist, which spanned six decades. For many years he was the main Aboriginal star on the Australian music scene. His music was influenced by Nat King Cole and American country music artist Jim Reeves. His gospel song "Royal Telephone" (1963) sold over 75,000 copies and his most popular album, Messenger, peaked at No. 26 in 1999 on the ARIA Albums Chart.

At the ARIA Music Awards of 1999, Little was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame and won an ARIA Award for 'Best Adult Contemporary Album'. On Australia Day (26 January) 2004, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia. 

As an actor he appeared in the films Shadow of the Boomerang (1960) and Until the end of the World (1991), in the theatre production Black Cockatoos and in the opera Black River. As a teacher, from 1985, he worked at the Eora Centre in Redfern and from 2000 was a guest lecturer at the University of Sydney's Koori Centre.

Location

Address:Kable Avenue, Bicentennial Park , Tamworth, 2340
State:NSW
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -31.093247
Long: 150.929159
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Sculpture
Monument Theme:People
Sub-Theme:Indigenous
Artist:Kate French

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:Friday 15th January, 2016
Front Inscription

JIMMY LITTLE AO 1 / 3 / 1937 - 2 / 4 / 2012

A proud Yorta Yorta man, Dr James Oswald Little  
overcame many barriers, paving the way for 
Indigenous performers. He was Australia's first 
Aboriginal country star with his huge hits  
Royal Telephone and Baby Blue. He continued 
to record and perform into his senior years, 
with that marvellous, melodious voice, also 
    appearing in a number of films.

          Sculpted by Kate French 
A gift from the country music fraternity 
     to Tamworth and all who visit. 

                    15. 1. 2016

Source: MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au