Joy McKean

Joy McKean was an Australian country music singer and songwriter who was the wife and manager of Slim Dusty. She was known as the Queen of Australian country music and considered a pioneer in the industry. She wrote several of Slim Dusty's most popular songs, such as "Lights on the Hill", "The Biggest Disappointment", and "Walk a Country Mile". She also performed with her sister Heather as the McKean Sisters in the 1940s and 1950s. She met Slim Dusty in 1951 and they married later that year. They toured extensively around Australia, often with their children Anne and David, who also became country music singers. Joy McKean was involved in various charity and community work, especially for rural and Indigenous Australians. She received numerous awards and honors for her contribution to Australian music and culture, including the first ever Golden Guitar in 1973, the Order of Australia in 1991, and the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music in 2005. She also co-authored several books about her life and career with Slim Dusty, such as Another Day, Another Town (1979) and I've Been There...And Back Again (2004). She died at the age of 93 in Sydney after a long illness.