Reg Lindsay

Reginald John Lindsay OAM (7 July 1929 – 5 August 2008) was an Australian country music singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and radio and television personality. He won three Golden Guitar Awards and wrote more than 500 songs in his 50-year music career. Lindsay recorded over 65 albums and 250 singles. Reg made his first trip to Nashville in June 1968 and recorded his first Nashville EP on this historic trip.

Lindsay's most popular cross-over hit was a cover version, "Armstrong" (March 1971), which reached No. 6 on the Go-Set National Top 60. It was written and originally performed by the American folk musician John Stewart as a tribute to Neil Armstrong's lunar landing in 1969.

Early years

Lindsay was born in Waverley, New South Wales in 1929, his parents were Jim and Ellen Lindsay.

He subsequently learned the banjo, mandolin, guitar and fiddle. Later he reflected, "The outback has always been romantic to me. People of that ilk have always been romantic. We have the longest cattle drives in the world, you know. I was scheduled to go into a reservation in the north-west of South Australia, but I ended up as a jackeroo in Broken Hill instead." in the following year, which launched his career as a singer-songwriter.

Radio shows and recording

Reg Lindsay was a performer in the 2KY radio show, On the Melody Trail, from September 1951, alongside, "Joy McKean and Heather McKean, Australia's Melody Cowgirls, Slim Dusty, Gordon Parsons and other hillbilly artists." The McKean Sisters were a country music duo of Joy McKean and her younger sister Heather, who had presented the show since 1949.

Lindsay was signed to Rodeo Records in 1951, which issued his early material. "Sundowner Yodel", "If You've Got the Money, I've Got the Time", "By the Old Slip Rail", "Sweeter than Flowers", "Shackles and Chains", "My Blue-Eyed Jane" (all before 1955), "I Love You a Thousand Ways", "Country Mile", "I'll Never Live It Down", Got Those Itchy Feet", "In the Luggage Van Ahead" (all five in 1954). Radio station 2CH had him present, The Reg Lindsay Show, in 1951 to showcase his own country music. AllMusic's Jason Ankeny observed, "despite his public recognition and relentless touring schedule, success as a performer continued to elude him."

Television programs Lindsay returned to Australia in 1964, and hosted a TV show on the Nine Network in Adelaide called The Country and Western Hour, which ran for seven-and-a-half years, until 1972. In that year he issued a single, "They Gotta Quit Kickin' My Dog Around". He travelled to the United States in 1968, to record material for his TV show, It peaked at No. 6 on the Go-Set National Top 60 and remained in the charts for 16 weeks. It is included in a time capsule at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. It is Lindsay's first major hit, reaching No. 8 on the Australian Singles Chart in 1971.

His other popular singles from the 1970s are "July You're a Woman" (1973), "Silence on the Line" (1977) and "Empty Arms Hotel" 1979). In January 1974 he won a Golden Guitar trophy at the Country Music Awards of Australia for Best Male Vocal with "July You're a Woman". He won the same category in 1978 for "Silence on the Line".

The Country and Western Hour had finished in 1972 and was followed in late 1977 by his own TV program, Reg Lindsay's Country Homestead, on Brisbane's Channel 9, which ran for four years until 1982. Reg Lindsay's Country Homestead also won two state-based Logie Awards for Queensland's Most Popular Show in 1978 and 1979.

Lindsay supported charities and appeared on TV telethons to raise money for various community organizations. Some of his performances were issued on a DVD video album, Reg Lindsay – live across Australia 1979–1994, in 2015 via Umbrella Entertainment. In a music career of over 50 years he wrote more than 500 songs and hosted various TV shows. He recorded over 65 albums and 250 singles.

Personal life

Lindsay was married twice. His first marriage was to Heather McKean (born 1932) on 13 February 1954 in Granville. McKean's older sister Joy McKean had married fellow country musician, Slim Dusty in 1951; that couple are the parents of another country musician, Anne Kirkpatrick. The McKean Sisters were a country music duo from 1948. They separated in 1982 and Heather resumed her solo career as well as working with Joy as the McKean Sisters.

Reg married his second wife, Roslyn née Winfield (born 1959), a rodeo champion, on October 12, 1988 at Brampton Island – they first met in 1984 at the Warwick Rodeo, Queensland where the 24 year old was competing in the National Finals. Dave Dawson described Roslyn, "glamorous former barrel racer, steer roper and country chanteuse."

In January 1995 he had a brain hemorrhage and in the following month he underwent surgery to remove the related brain aneurysm. He had a heart attack in January 1996 and had triple bypass surgery.

Reg Lindsay died of pneumonia on 5 August 2008 in Newcastle, aged 79.

March 2015, the Reg Lindsay statue was unveiled at East Cessnock Bowling Club. In 2019 the first Reg Lindsay DVD was released titled 'Country All The Way' and in January 2021, Roslyn Lindsay released the first ever Reg Lindsay pictorial book 'Setting The Pace' a collection of photos throughout his career with rare photos including McKean Sisters, Slim Dusty, Kenny Sole, Judy Stone, Chad Morgan, Buddy Williams, Lily Connors and many others. The DVD, CDs and Book are available at the Reg Lindsay official website

On 21 January 2021 Roslyn with the Federal Member for New England Barnaby Joyce and selected guests officially opened The Reg Lindsay Memory Barn at Spring Ridge, south of Tamworth, in honor of her late husband. The Reg Lindsay Memory Barn, which is full of Reg's personal and career's memorabilia spanning 60 years, was expected to be officially opened in 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Country Music Comes To Town (1961) (with the Noel Gilmour Quarter & The Delltones) Country & Western Singalong (1964) Another Country and Western Singalong (1966) Country and Western Million Sellers (1966) T.V. Requests (1967) Country Duets from Reg and Heather (1967) (with Heather McKean) Australia's Country Music Man (1968) Roadside Mail Box (1968) On Tour with His Town & Country Show (1968) Reg Lindsay Favourites (1969) (with Heather McKean) She Taught Me To Yodel (1969) Hot Shot Country (1970) Armstrong (1971) Songs for Country Folk (1971) Country and Western Greats (1972) Country Music Jamboree (1972) 21st Century Album (1973) (2xLP) Glory Land Way (1973) Reg Lindsay (1973) Reg Lindsay's Country Favourites (1975) Reg Lindsay in Nashville (1975) (Re-released in 1979 in the US) The Travellin' Man (1976) Silence on the Line (1977) Play Me a Simple Song (1978) 20 Golden Country Greats (1979) Standing Tall (1979) Ten Ten Two and a Quarter (1980) If You Could See Me Now (1981) "Will The Real Reg Lindsay..." (1982) The World of Rodeo (1985) I've Always Wanted To Do That (1985) Lifetime of Country Music (1987) The Best of Reg Lindsay (1992) Reasons to Rise (1993) No Slowin' Down (1994) Down By The Old Slip Rail (1997)

Charting singles

Singles discography | charts=2 | include_footnote = yes chartA = AUSGo-Set

Mo Awards The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Lindsay won two awards in that time. (wins only) 2001 Reg Lindsay John Campbell Fellowship Award 2014 Reg Lindsay Hall of Fame

Order of Australia 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours (Australia) Member of the Order of Australia (AM) "for service to country music"