Radio veteran Dot Dawson has passed away aged 104. Dot began her radio career at 3KZ, and, after marrying country music legend Smoky Dawson, the pair had many successful radio programs over the decades, from the Smoky Dawson syndicated radio show in the 1940s, to jointly hosting 20 years of country music programming on community radio station FM 99.3 in recent years.
Smokey & Dot met in 1939. They had no children and lived on the North Shore of Sydney. Smokey passed away in 2008, aged 94.
Born Florence Cheers in Echuca Victoria in 1906, Dot Dawson had a very successful career in broadcasting in the 30’s and 40’s as a 3KZ childrens’ session announcer. She met Smokey at an amateur radio station in Melbourne and they courted for 9 years.
When Smoky returned from the war in 1944 they finally married. After the war they both travelled to the United States to record, and play at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry.
Smokey Dawson’s radio show, which began in 1952 when they returned from the USA, made he and Dot household names in the golden days of radio. Movies and a TV show followed. At its peak the radio show, sponsored by Kellogs, was broadcast on 69 stations across the country.
Dot also had her own syndicated radio shows for children at that time.
For thirty years their Ranch, on 26 acres at Ingleside became a popular second home for many local children, where parents could drop them off and Smokey and Dot would teach them some of the good values of life.
Their Country Music Showcase commenced on FM 99.3 when the station started broadcasting in May 1983 and continued without interruption until Smoky died, with over 1,200 programs aired.
RIP Dot Dawson.
Tributes that came in to our Tiwtter and Facebook sites include the following:
David wrote:
"having met these two special people on many occasions you came away with a feeling they lived each and every day for each other. Gone but not forgotten - true legends and country music pioneers in Australia."
Felix wrote:
"vale Dot.I lived near them for some years.What a wonderful and kind couple.The legend of Smoky dies with her"
Pete wrote:
"I'm saddened to hear of Dot's passing, i too crossed paths with Dot and Smokey on numerous occasions and i'm with David, they are country music legends!"
Jason Ford wrote:
"End of an era. Old cliche but behind every man is a great woman. She was that!. It's because of Dot we have Carols by Candlelight. Greatest highlight of my life working with Smoky and Dot and sitting in the Dawson Chair at their home in Lane Cove with Dot serving up some ginger wine"
Ross Wilson wrote:
"Wonder whether Normie Rowe remembers Jamming At a Tamworth Motel with Smokey impromptu a highlight of my radio career as we were broadcasting feom the festival and replayed some of it on air Smokey and Dot hold great memories for a lot of people including me"
Dot Dawson was also an assistant to radio great NORMAN BANKS in the 1930's when he was on 3KZ.
It was in fact Dot who coined the phrase CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT when Norman compered it for the first time in 1938.
(Source - Interview with Smokey & Dot with Bruce Mansfield and Philip Brady on 3AW)