Joy McKean, the first winner of the Golden Guitar and the wife and manager of Slim Dusty, has passed away.
EMI Records announced her death after a long battle with cancer, stating she died peacefully, surrounded by her family.
Joy McKean was a multi-award winning Australian songwriter and musician who will be remembered as a pioneer in Australian music.
She married Slim Dusty in 1951, and together they produced over 100 albums, sold over 8 million albums and earned 45 Golden Guitars.
There is an iconic bronze statue of Joy McKean and Slim Dusty on Tamworth’s Peel Street, erected in 2014.