SOUTH East born and raised Australian country music icon Kasey Chambers will be the youngest female recipient to be inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association hall of fame at the 2018 gala awards night later this month.
The 42-year-old started singing with her family in The Dead Ringer Band over 30 years ago and since then has had five number one albums in Australia and secured more than a dozen platinum awards.
The former Southend resident released a statement on Tuesday regarding the huge honour and noted her incredibly humble beginnings.
“I grew up learning to play music around a campfire in the outback of Australia with my family,” she said.
“Living in our car, hunting our own food and creating our own unique sound together that was always hundreds of miles away from any kind of audience.
“I never even dreamed that one day the music that I wrote and played would connect with so many people, let alone get me to a place where I received the phone call that I would be inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
“You could have knocked me over with a feather.
“I am so proud to have been able to create the music I love in a way that has always felt so true and authentic to me and to have it reach so many people.
“To be recognised by ARIA through this award is one of the greatest honours I could possibly imagine and I am so humbled to get the chance on the night to share the journey this little country singer from the Nullarbor has actually had – thank you.”
Since the announcement, Chambers has appeared on Channel 9’s Today Show, where she performed her favourite song The Captain.
The news follows the tour of her latest album Campfire.
The 2018 ARIA Awards will air November 28.
