The death last week in Tasmania of country music legend Barry Thornton came
as a big shock for his many friends and fans in South East Queensland. The
Maroochydore based guitarist was a popular figure on the local Festival scene
and was renowned for the help he willingly gave to up and coming young
entertainers always inviting them onto the stage to performance with him.
Barry Thornton has had a long association with our local country music clubs performing in Ipswich on many occasions over the years, but he will best be remembered as the lead guitarist for Slim Dusty in the early years of Slim’s career and even the King of country music himself is quick to admit that without Barry Thornton at his side he may not have achieved the fame that he did Barry travelled with the Slim Dusty Show for 19 years, playing the on-stage comedy character of "Mulga Dan" as well as setting the path and style for so many lead players to come. He is the only specialist instrumentalist so far inducted to the Country Music Roll of Renown (1991), Barry is credited with originating the distinctive lead guitar sound which set the style of practically all Australian bush ballads.
Born in Junee, NSW, on June 14, 1934, Barry was the eldest of 16 children. At age 17, while living in Sydney with his grandparents and working in a glove factory, he bought his first guitar for 12 pounds. After learning a few basic chords, he entered his first talent quest at Eden Park near Sydney, sang a Wilf Carter song and came second.
During his rounds of the talent quest circuit, Barry met Slim who ultimately offered him a job touring with the Slim Dusty Show. Though he worked as a singer, gradually, the singing was overtaken by the "Mulga Dan" character and a shaky lead guitar began to emerge. In the years to follow, through the encouragement of Slim and Joy McKean and Barry's own natural talent, the "shaky guitar" developed into the sound now so recognisable and respected.
Inducted into the Country Music Hands of Fame in 1981, in addition to his touring and playing, Barry has been heavily involved in the Queensland Champion of Champions working, since their inception, to ensure the annual success of the event. Less than a year ago, a special tribute was made to Barry at Champs soon after he had returned home from hospital after becoming seriously ill. A number of performers he had influenced put together a moving presentation to say thank you for his encouragement and advice over many years. Despite his continuing ill-health, Barry took the stage and played one of his favourites, The Old Rugged Cross, with the assistance of his fellow performers, ending in a standing ovation and barely a dry eye in the house.
Still in spite of his illness, Barry continued to travel and tour. In January, he visited Tamworth for the annual country music festival to catch up with friends and fans and Launceston just last week where, among other things, he was going to help a young artist with their CD launch. He knew his health was precarious, but, as he told me just three weeks earlier, "I'm not going to sit down and wait for it, mate. I'm going out to do everything I want to, and I'll keep on doing shows just the same." He became ill on Saturday, was admitted to hospital that evening and died at 6.30am on Sunday at 68 years of age.
But like a true legend, Barry leaves an enormous legacy to Australia and Australian country music, an inspiration to our instrumentalists over two generations.