I've Been There (and Back Again)

Slim Dusty and Joy McKean's Lifetime of Travel, Stories and Songs

A stunning, full-colour hardback filled with the songs and stories of Slim Dusty and his wife and fellow singer and songwriter, Joy McKean.

The perfect gift book for Slim Dusty s legions of fans, whose numbers are still strong even years after his death.

Joy McKean wrote many of her husband Slim Dusty s most well-loved songs, such as Lights on the Hill and When the Rain Tumbles Down in July . She is a natural writer and now she turns her talent to telling us the stories behind 25 of their most popular songs. Through the lyrics and stories she gives us an intimate insight into her life on the road with Slim. This couple were famous around Australia for their performances and for their love of the outback and its people. Slim and Joy were awarded a total of 37 Golden Guitars between them, and Joy is respected by other performers both in and out of the country music scene, such as Troy Cassar Daley and Paul Kelly.

This beautiful, fully illustrated hardback will comprise of a selection of 25 lyrics, Joy s stories and reminisces about each song, photographs from the family collection and outstanding shots by acclaimed photographer John Elliott, who has been photographing Slim and Joy, their band and family for decades.

About the Author

Joy Mckean became famous performing with her sister Heather in the 1950s, writing songs that have become Australian classics, and creating a lifelong partnership with Slim Dusty. She wrote many of Slim s most famous songs, and showed her talent as a writer in the bestselling biography of Slim, ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER TOWN.

Photographer John Elliot grew up listening to Slim Dusty s music and regularly attending his performances. He worked in radio for many years and remained a fan of Slim Dusty s work. He managed to meet the legend and eventually got to take his picture. Little did he know that he would then be travelling with and photographing Slim for over fifteen years.

Click here to read an extract from this book.