Roger Knox

Roger Knox (born 1948) is an Australian country singer, nicknamed "the Black Elvis" and "Koori King of Country".

Early life and education Knox was born in 1948 in Moree, New South Wales. He is of the Gamilaroi nation, an Aboriginal Australian people. Knox grew up in the Toomelah Aboriginal Mission near Boggabilla, which is near the border between New South Wales and Queensland. Knox comes from a family with 11 children.

Career Knox left the mission at 17 and moved to Tamworth, where he became a singer.

In 2007, Knox went public with claims that he couldn't get booked at Tamworth's annual festival, Tamworth Country Music Festival, "because he attracted the wrong crowd".

Jon Langford and the Pine Valley Cosmonauts/Buried Country On 12 February 2013, Knox along with the Pine Valley Cosmonauts, released his first album in nine years, Stranger in My Land on Bloodshot Records. The album was produced by Jon Langford and included guest contributions from Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Charlie Louvin, Dave Alvin (X, The Blasters), Kelly Hogan, Jon Langford, Andre Williams, the Sadies, Sally Timms (Mekons), and Tawny Newsome. The title of the record comes from a Vic Simms song. Jon Langford illustrated the booklet that accompanies the CD. When Langford visited Australia, he heard many of the recordings, then went to see Knox play at Tamworth's annual country music festival.

Musical style Describing his music, Knox said in 2013: "My music is basically country with an influence of Aboriginal spirituality... I use all these (Aboriginal instruments such as didgeridoos) but I still play country music. I may not sing about trains and sheep and cattle, but I still play country music".

In 2006, Knox was given the Jimmy Little Award for Lifetime Achievement in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Music at the 2006 Deadlys.

Activism Knox is well known in Australia and is loved for his regular tours of the New South Wales and Queensland prison systems, where many Aboriginal men and women are incarcerated. Knox has also performed at many Canadian prisons for Native American prisoners.

Personal life Buddy Knox

Knox's son Buddy is also a musician, starting to play guitar at the age of 10. In 2006, he formed the Buddy Knox Blues Band, which won Best New Blues Talent at the Australian Blues Music CHAIN Awards at Goulburn in February 2009. He was a finalist for Male Artist of the Year in the 2009 DeadlyAward, and won numerous awards further awards. His debut album was got da blues (January 2008), which won the Newcastle Blues Awards Album of the Year.This was followed by Buddy's Blues in 2010, which comprises his own compositions as well as cover versions, including the National Musicoz Awards 2010 finalist "Squeaky Chair Blues". In 2011, he was nominated for a Deadlys award. He has toured with the Warumpi Band, Troy Cassar-Daley, Paul Kelly, and Kev Carmody.

Buddy married Sarina Andrew, daughter of famed Aboriginal country music singer Auriel Andrew, but they later divorced. Their sons, Gene, John, and Ruben, played in Buddy's band at some point. 1988

1988

Other singles + List of singles as featured artist, with selected chart positions Title Year Peak chart positions AUS "The Garden"(as "Australia Too") 1985 22