Lee Kernaghan

Infobox Person
name = Lee Kernaghan

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caption =
image_size =
other_names = Lee Raymond Kernaghan
birth_date = Birth date and age|1964|4|15|df=yes
birth_place = Corryong, Victoria, Australia
occupation = Songwriter, composer, musician
yearsactive =
spouse =
children = 2 children- Ben 3 years and Lee his other son 2 years old

Lee Raymond Kernaghan OAM (born 15 April, 1964 in Corryong, Victoria, Australia) is an Australian country music singer and songwriter, who was named the 2008 Australian of the Year. His father Ray Kernaghan was also a successful country music singer.

History

Lee Kernaghan grew up in the Riverina region of New South Wales, and his first public performance was on the Chickadees radio singing "Two Little Boys" by Rolf Harris in 1969. The years rolled by and in 1975 Lee, his brother Greg and friend Glen Simpson formed the band "The Blue Devils." He won the prestigious Starmaker quest in Tamworth as a youngster but it wasn't until 1986 things started shaping up. He had just performed at Fanfair in Nashville and Through songwriter Reece Kirk-Lee met with Garth Porter and the two become lifelong friends and work mates. Garth managed to rope a bit of money from Warner Chappell and they recorded his first solo LP.Played in pubs until he was 15

The release of “The Outback Club” in 1992 was a defining point in Lee's music career, not only beginning his long career but also reviving the dream he had given up in the Christmas of 1990. As Lee recalls "I’d given it the last ten years of my life, pretty well full on and I was doing shows like the Carriers Arms in Wodonga and nobody turned up. Not a soul.” Lee's mate had real estate agency and Lee traded his R.M. Williams for a suit tried to settle down. He was nearly 27 years old and borrowing money from his Dad. After co-writing "Boys from the Bush" with Garth he went back to Albury while Garth looked for a deal. Many turned Lee down, one saying the song was too sexist. Finally ABC signed him and the rest is history.

In 2007, Lee received four Golden Guitars for his album, "The New Bush", bringing his total CMAA Awards to 25 and his number one songs to 22. Lee also received a CMA award for 'Best Global artist' in 2003.He was announced aussie of the year award at the government house in 2008On 25 January 2008, Lee Kernaghan was awarded the Australian of the Year Award for 2008.

He has won over 26 golden guitars

Collaborations

Lee Kernaghan is a talented songwriter and wrote many of the songs, as well as taking part personally, in the live stage production of "". He gave an impressive performance as "the Balladeer", narrating the story of the Arena Spectacular, and also sang some of his own songs, and songs he co-wrote with Garth Porter. Songs written by Lee Kernaghan (and songs written by Lee Kernaghan with Garth Porter) which were heard during the Arena Spectacular included: "Spirit of the High Country", "Southern Son", "Snowy Mountains Buck Jump", "The Rope That Pulls the Wind", "Kosciusko Moon", "Boys From the Bush", "Pull the Other One Mate", "Electric Rodeo", "Cobar Line" and "You Rock My World". "A Handful of Dust" can be heard on the (which won the ARIA award for Best Cast / Show Album).cite web | url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/10/16/1034561163701.html | title=And the winners are... | publisher="The Sydney Morning Herald" | date=2002-10-16 | accessdate=2007-09-14]

Lee has also collaborated with many artists over the years and the can be heard on many of his albums. Artists include, Slim Dusty, Smoky Dawson, Travis Sinclair, Tania Kernaghan, Adam Brand, Troy Casser-Daly, Steve Forde, Anne Kirkpatrick, Catherine Britt, Olivia Newton-John, The McClymonts, the Sunny Cow Girls and Trisha Yearwood.

Lee was also featured in a joke collaboration on Australian TV where he was supposed to be with the inept Aussie bushie-balladeer Russell Coight (Glenn Robbins) of All Aussie Adventures. In the scene, Coight is seen arriving at Kernaghan's farm to record a song with him. When Kernaghan realizes Coight is present, he rushes out the backdoor to his Land-Cruiser, and takes off.

On Tuesday 16th February he performed on It Take Two as a guest performance.

Family

Lee Kernaghan's father Ray and sister, Tania are also successful country musicians in Australia. Parents Ray and Pam Kernaghan (ni Roberts / Madison) and siblings Tania, Greg and Fiona.

Lee Kernaghan is married to Robby (Belinda); they have two sons, Jet and Rock (November 2002) [ [http://www.leekernaghan.com.au/members/v2i4.pdf Up Close and Personal] , The Outback Club Members Magazine (fan club newsletter, V2, I4, December 2002), accessed 5 May 2008]

Lee Kernaghan's father and sister influence him in his music when he was a young boy to now.Lee is such a family man he has own family and still has a music career.

Trivia

Lee Kernaghan appears in Allan M. Dixon's book "Beaut Utes 4", describing his Toyota Landcruiser.

Discography

*The New Bush (2006)1. Where I Come From
2. Listen To The Radio
3. The New Bush
4. Diamantina Dream
5. Love Shack
6. Western World
7. I'll Remember You
8. Livin' In Australia
9. Little Men
10. Like Angels
11. On The Beach
12. When The Country Comes
13. Close As A Whisper (The Gift)

*Electric Rodeo (2005)1. Way It Is
2. Electric Rodeo
3. Something In The Water
4. An Ordinary Bloke
5. Baptiste The Ute
6. Long Night
7. Rock My World
8. A Handful Of Dust
9. That Old Caravan
10. Wild Side Of Life
11. Sing You Back Home
12. Texas, Qld
13. The Odyssey

*Rules Of The Road (2001)1. Losin' My Blues Tonight
2. Darwin Jailhouse Window
3. Rules Of The Road
4. Cunnamulla Feller
5. That's the Kind Of Life I Live
6. Where The White Faced Cattle Roam
7. The Glass On The Bar
8. Winter Winds
9. Aussie Doghouse Blues
10. By A Fire Of Gidgee Coal
11. Overlander Trail
12. Camooweal
13. Following The Light
14. Bushman Can't Survive
15. Days Of Old Khancoban
16. Leave Him In The Longyard

*Hat Town (1998)1. Hat Town
2. Bare Essentials
3. Goondiwindi Moon
4. A Few Of Us Left
5. When The Snow Falls On The Alice
6. Changi Banjo
7. Cowgirls Do
8. Gettin' Gone
9. Pass The Bottle 'Round
10. The Western Beat
11. Longreach
12. Lonelyville

*1959 (1995)1. Scrubbashin'
2. Janine
3. Shake On It
4. Country Crowd
5. Doctor
6. Rachel's Bed
7. Where Country Is
8. Freedom Road
9. Skinny Dippin'
10. This Cowboy's Hat
11. The Rope That Pulls The Wind
12. 1959

*Outback Club (1995)1. Boys From The Bush
2. High Country
3. She Waits By The Sliprails (The Bush Girl)
4. Walkin' Out West
5. Country Girls
6. Country's Really Big These Days
7. You're The Reason I Never Saw Hank Jnr Play
8. Rejected
9. Scots Of The Riverina
10. You Don't Have To Go To Memphis
11. Searchin' For Another You

*Three Chain Road (1995)1. The Outback Club
2. Three Chain Road
3. She's My Ute
4. Dust On My Boots
5. The Burning Heart
6. 'Cause I'm Country
7. Collingullie Station
8. Leave Him In The Longyard
9. Southern Son
10. Back To The Shack
11. Cobar Line
12. Western Stars

Awards and Nominations

*1979:Finalist: Starmaker Award In the top 10 :Best Male Vocalist – Swan Hill Pioneer Country Music Festival :Best under 16 male singer CMAA Award?

*1982: Starmaker Award

*1983: Finalist: Male Vocal Australian Music Awards :Finalist: Best New Talent Australian Music Awards

*1984:Finalist: Male Vocal Australian Country Music Awards :Finalist: Best New Talent Australian Country Music Awards

*1986:International Fan Fair, Nashville Ray & Lee Kernaghan selected by CMA to represent Australia

*1992: ARIA Album of the Year ‘The Outback Club’

*1993:Male Vocalist of the Year Victorian Country Music Awards : Songwriter of the Year Garth Porter/Lee Kernaghan - Victorian Country Music Awards : APRA Most Performed Country Work Boys from the Bush - Lee Kernaghan, Garth Porter : MO Award - Male Country Performer Lee Kernaghan :MO Award - John Laws Country Performer of the Year Lee Kernaghan : ARIA Best Country Album the Outback Club :Golden Guitar - APRA Song of the Year Boys from the Bush - Garth Porter/Lee Kernaghan (ABC) : Golden Guitar - Album of the Year the Outback Club - Lee Kernaghan (ABC) : Golden Guitar - Male Vocalist of the Year Lee Kernaghan - Boys from the Bush : Best Male - Lee Kernaghan the Victorian Country Music awards : Songwriter - Lee Kernaghan - The Victorian Country Music awards

*1994: Golden Guitar - APRA Song of the Year Three Chain Road - Garth Porter/Lee Kernaghan (ABC) :Golden Guitar - Album of the Year Three Chain Road - Lee Kernaghan (ABC) : Golden Guitar - Male Vocalist of the Year Lee Kernaghan - Three Chain Road (ABC) : Golden Guitar - Vocal Group or Duo of the Year Lee Kernaghan & Slim Dusty - Leave Him in the Longyard (ABC) :ARIA Best Country Album – Three Chain Road : MO Award - John Laws Country Performer of the Year :MO Award - Male Country Performer Lee Kernaghan : Entertainer of the Year Country Music Magazine Peoples Choice Award : Most Popular Male Entertainer Country Music Magazine Peoples Choice Award : Male Vocalist of the Year Victorian Country Music Awards : Duo of the Year Lee Kernaghan/Slim Dusty - Victorian Country Music Awards

*1995: The Australian Entertainer of the Year Variety Club Of Australia : Nominee: ARIA Best Country Album – Country Crowd : MO Award - Male Country Performer Lee Kernaghan & Graeme Connors : Golden Guitar - Top Selling Album – Three Chain Road - Lee Kernaghan (ABC) : Golden Guitar - Vocal Collaboration of the Year Australian Family of Country Music - Bridge Of Love (Outback/Larrikin)

*1996: Golden Guitar - Album of the Year – 1959 - Lee Kernaghan (ABC) : CMAA Entertainer of the Year : Nominee: ARIA Best Country Album – 1959

*1997: Golden Guitar - Top Selling Album – 1959 - Lee Kernaghan (ABC: Warner/Chappell) : Golden Guitar - Vocal Collaboration of the Year Tania Kernaghan & Lee Kernaghan –A Bushman Can't Survive (ABC:Emusic) : APRA Most Performed Country Work – 1959 - Lee Kernaghan, Garth Porter

*1999: APRA Most Performed Country Work – Hat Town - Colin Buchanan, Lee Kernaghan, Garth Porter : Golden Guitar - Top Selling Album – Hat Town - Lee Kernaghan - ABC : Golden Guitar - Album of the Year – Hat Town - Lee Kernaghan - ABC : Golden Guitar - Male Vocalist of the Year Lee Kernaghan - Goondiwindi Moon - ABC (Warner/Chappell) : Golden Guitar - Heritage Song of the Year – Changi Banjo - Lee Kernaghan - ABC (Warner Chappell/Control) : Golden Guitar - Vocal Collaboration of the Year Colin Buchanan & Lee Kernaghan - Tough Job - East West/Warner (Rondor/Warner Chappell) : Australian Achiever of the Year Australian of the Year Awards: Hitmaker of the Decade : CMAA Entertainer of the Year : This Is Your Life : CMT Australian Artist of the Year Lee Kernaghan : CMT Best Video Clip Lee Kernaghan - Gettin' Gone

*2000: Nominee: Australian Club Entertainment (ACE) Award – Country Male Vocalist: Best Live Country Act Australian Live Music Awards (ALMAs) : Nominee: ARIA Best Country Album – Rules of the Road : PPCA Award 2000 Presented by the Phonographic Performance Company of Australia to the local country music artist most played on Australian radio.

*2001: Nominee: Australian Club Entertainment (ACE) Award – Country Male Vocalist

*2002: Nominee: ARIA Best Country Album – Electric Rodeo : Golden Guitar - Vocal Collaboration of the Year Josh Arnold and Lee Kernaghan – Thank God I'm a Country Boy - ABC Country : Winner – Australasian Country Music Awards (NSW) – Vocal Collaboration of the Year – Thank God I’m a Country Boy with Josh Arnold: Nominee: TSA Bush Ballad of the Year “The Lad with the Laughing Eyes” – Smoky Dawson & Lee Kernaghan Inducted into the Walk of Fame in Tamworth

*2003: Nominee: Australian Club Entertainment (ACE) Award – Country Male Vocalist: Nominee: Toyota Entertainer of the Year: Lee Kernaghan : Nominee: Golden Guitar - Video Clip of the Year the Way It Is : Nominee: Golden Guitar - Male Artist of the Year : Golden Guitar - Album of the Year – Electric Rodeo – Lee Kernaghan - Produced by Garth Porter - ABC Music : Golden Guitar - Top Selling Album of the Year – Electric Rodeo – Lee Kernaghan - ABC Music : CMA Global Artist Award

*2004: Medal of the Order of Australia For services to remote and regional communities and to country music : Nominee: Golden Guitar - Vocal Collaboration of the Year – I'm From the Country - Lee Kernaghan & Travis Sinclair : Nominee: Golden Guitar - Male Vocalist of the Year – Lee Kernaghan - Diamantina Drover : Finalist: AHA Australia's Best Entertainment Venue – Lee Kernaghan's Great Western Hotel, Rockhampton, Qld : QHA Best Entertainment Venue Lee Kernaghan's Great Western Hotel, Rockhampton, Qld : Nominee: APRA Most Performed Country Work – Something in the Water - Lee Kernaghan Writer Lee Kernaghan/Garth Porter/Colin Buchanan Publisher Warner Chappell Music Aust Pty Ltd/Rondor Music Aust Pty Ltd : Nominee: APRA Most Performed Country Work – The Way It Is - Lee Kernaghan Writer Lee Kernaghan/Garth Porter Publisher Warner Chappell Music Aust Pty Ltd : Duo - Victorian & National Country Music Awards Lee Kernaghan & Travis Sinclair - I'm From the Country : Finalist: Best Australian Country Music Bush Ballad – Spirit of the High Country - Written by Garth Porter/Lee Kernaghan ACMLA Peoples Choice Awards : Best Country Bush Ballad - ACMLA Peoples Choice Awards Lee Kernaghan – Spirit Of The High Country
*2005: Best Country Male Artist Lee Kernaghan - ACMLA Peoples Choice Awards :The Trailblazers Heritage Award Lee Kernaghan/Colin Buchanan – “Missin 'Slim” – Victorian Country Music Awards : Nominee: Qld Touring Artist of the Year Queensland Gold Medallion Awards : Nominee: Golden Guitar - Vocal Collaboration of the Year – Missin' Slim : Nominee: Golden Guitar - Single of the Year – Missin' Slim : Nominee: Qld Touring Artist of the Year World Alliance of Radio Presenters (WARP) - Qld Gold Medallion Awards : Golden Guitar - Heritage Song of the Year – “Missin' Slim” - Lee Kernaghan and Colin Buchanan

*2006: Finalist: ACMLA People's Choice Award for Best Male. (Winners announced 27th January 2006 at West Diggers in Tamworth – won by Troy Cassar-Daley.): CMR #1 Song of the Year – “The New Bush”

*2007: Nominee – Golden Guitar – Album of the Year – “The New Bush”: Nominee – Golden Guitar – Male Artist of the Year – “The New Bush”: Nominee – Golden Guitar – Heritage Song – “Close as a Whisper (The Gift) – “The New Bush” : Nominee – Golden Guitar – Video Clip of the Year – “Listen to the Radio”: Nominee – Golden Guitar – Single of the Year – “The New Bush”: Nominee – Golden Guitar – APRA Song of the Year – “The New Bush”: Finalist – Tamworth Songwriters' Association – Contemporary Country Song of the Year – “The New Bush” by Lee Kernaghan, Colin Buchanan & Garth Porter : Top 5 Finalist – People’s Choice Awards – Best Male Vocalist – “The New Bush” : Top 10 Finalist – People’s Choice Awards – Best Album – “The New Bush”: Top 10 Finalist – People’s Choice Awards – Best Male Vocalist – “The New Bush”: Finalist – Victorian Awards – Bluegrass and Traditional Country – “Close as a Whisper (The Gift)”: Winner – Golden Guitar – Album of the Year – “The New Bush”: Winner – Golden Guitar – Male Artist of the Year – “The New Bush”: Winner – Golden Guitar – Heritage Song – “Close as a Whisper (The Gift) – “The New Bush” : Winner – Golden Guitar – Top Selling Album – “The New Bush” : Finalist – Victorian Awards – Bush Ballad of the Year – “Close as a Whisper (The Gift)”: Finalist – Victorian Awards – Best Male Vocalist – “The New Bush”: Finalist – Victorian Awards – Songwriter’s Competition – “The New Bush” (with Garth Porter & Colin Buchanan): Winner – Victorian Awards – Best Male Vocalist: Winner – Victorian Awards – Shared Songwriter’s Competition for “The New Bush” (with Garth Porter & Colin Buchanan): Nominee - APRA - Most Performed Country Work - "The New Bush": Finalist – QLD Gold Medallion Awards – Male Vocalist of the Year: Finalist – QLD Gold Medallion Awards – Touring Artist of the Year: Nominee – MO Award – Silm Dusty Country Perfor

Honour

2008 Australian of the Year

References

External links

* [http://www.leekernaghan.com/index.htm Lee Kernaghan's Official website]
* [http://groups.msn.com/LeeKernaghanfans Open fan site for Lee Kernaghan fans. Registration required]
* Capital News: [http://www.capitalnews.com.au/editorial.asp?editorial_id=309/"Oh, What a Year!"]