FANS of country singer Joy McKean were able to meet with her on Monday at Candelo Books as she signed copies of her new memoir, Riding This Road.
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Ms McKean spent over 60 years touring Australia as a country music singer, first with her sister Heather McKean and then with her late husband Slim Dusty.
She has been hailed as one of Australia’s greatest songwriters.
Doug Legge, who retired to the Bega Valley from Sydney, was at Candelo Books to meet Ms Kean.
He said he had been a fan of Ms McKean’s music since childhood.
“This first concert I ever saw was Joy and Slim Dusty when I was 12!” he said.
Mr Legge had several books signed, including Ms McKean’s latest Riding This Road.
Country music fans got a double treat if they dropped in to Candelo Books on Monday as accompanying Ms McKean was her daughter, country singer Anne Kirkpatrick.
“It’s been nice for watching Mum reconnect with fans on this book tour,” Ms Kirkpatrick.
“I like coming to this part of Australia myself, I’ve played Wolumla Town Hall many times in recent years as part of the Daughters of Country.”
Ms Kirkpatrick said her mother’s book Riding This Road was filled with lots of stories that would fans of Ms McKean and Slim Dusty would love.
“Mum kept tour diaries in the 50s and 60s, and she’s also got the most incredible memory, so she remembers so many faces and places.
“We call her ‘The Brain’, if we can’t remember something we know Mum will!”
Ms McKean said she had fond memories of the Bega Valley where she and Slim Dusty played “at least once a year”.
Local Kevin Hetherington remembers seeing the couple at Bega RSL many times in the '70s and '80s and has fond memories of the experience.
“It was always a great show,” he said.
Ms McKean said she had an especially fond memory herself of the Bega Valley.
“Slim and I travelled through here on our honeymoon, we stayed here one night on way down the coast,” she said.
Joy McKean’s book Riding This Road can be found at Candelo Books.