Smoky Dawson - gone for the last roundup at 94: Audio Tribute

The legendary old man of all things country and western Smoky Dawson has died at the age of 94 after a short illness. 2GB’s Jason Morrison has provided radioinfo with a copy of the audio obituary the station has been broadcasting since this morning.

Click to download the audio tribute

Smoky’s real name was Herbert Henry Dawson. He was born in the Melbourne suburb of Collingwood, but raised in Warrnambool. He began his professional entertainment career in 1941 at Homebush, with producer Arch Kerr recording a song called I’m a Happy Go Lucky Cowhand. Later he enlisted in the army and served with the Australian Entertainment Unit overseas.

When he returned from the war in 1944 he married 3KZ childrens’ session announcer “Dot” (Florence Cheers) after courting her for 9 years. After the war they both travelled to the United States to record, and play at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry.

When he returned to Australia in 1952 he started his own radio show The Adventures of Smoky Dawson, which was on the air for ten years. At its peak the show, sponsored by Kellogs, was broadcast on 69 stations across the country. Dot also had her own radio shows for children. Smoky’s yodelling, whip cracking, knife throwing singing cowboy character, and his horse Flash, were also the subject of movie serials and tv shows.

Even in retirement Smoky loved being on radio, and for over 20 years broadcast a weekly show on Chatswood community radio station 2NSB. In 1978 he was awarded an MBE for his services to country music. In 1983 he was named to the Australian Country Music Roll of Renown. In 2005 he was inducted into the Australian Record Industry Association Hall of Fame.

In 1988 Smoky appeared in two episodes of the Australian Drama serial A Country Practice as a drifter who passed through Wandin Valley and proposed to the town gossip, Esme. In April 2007 he donated his first electric guitar to the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame.