Dublin-born Colin Buchanan began 2023 with his surprise induction into the Roll of Renown, the top honour in Australian Country Music. He joins the likes of Slim Dusty, Tex Morton and John Williamson. It was remarkable highlight for the ARIA, APRA and 9 times Golden Guitar winning singer/songwriter. His diverse, 3 decade- long career includes being a beloved ABC TV Play School presenter, sought-after hit song collaborator and regular panelist on ABC Sydney Drive's "Thank God It's Friday" with Richard Glover along the cream of Australia's comedy community.
In 1988 the Sydney-raised primary school teacher spent a life-shifting year living in a Christian community in outback Bourke with his wife, Robyn. The following year the couple moved to the NSW Central West sheep and wheat town of Grenfell. "It turned out that the bush was holding a lot of songs in her belly. It was all so new and rich and inspiring that the tunes just started tumbling out!"
When Colin handed a lounge room cassette tape of those songs to Flying Emus front man John Kane when the band came through town, the doors to a music career began to open.
In 1992, Colin’s Kane-produced debut, Galahs In The Gidgee won Colin the Golden Guitar for Best New Talent. The Sydney Morning Herald described him as "...simply the best singer/songwriter to emerge on the Australian Country scene for the last decade."
In 1994 while on tour together, country superstar Lee Kernaghan suggested he and Colin co-write a song together. A sceptical Colin accepted and, with stellar musician, Rod McCormack, wrote “She’s My Ute”. The song became a signature Kernaghan song and started a remarkable career-long collaboration between the two friends resulting in a raft of hits. His collaborators have included Troy Cassar-Daly, Adam Brand, Beccy Cole, Amber Lawrence and many others and earned a reputation as one of country music’s most respected and successful co-writers.
Along with a blossoming music career, Colin became a regular presenter on ABC TV’s beloved Play School. His 1993 classic kid’s album I Want My Mummy is a childhood favourite of many who now have their own kids. Colin hosted of Qantas Inflight’s Country and Kids audio channels for many years and played sidekick to Lee Kernaghan on the Toyota Outback Club radio show, broadcast weekly for over a decade on more than 130 stations across Australia. Along the way, Colin’s unique Christian music for families has reached a massive global audience.
2023 sees the release of Colin’s long-anticipated new country album, Lost & Found. The Matt Fell-produced album is a tapestry of music showcasing Colin’s powerful storytelling, his lyrical sense of place and time and a disarming ability to draw the listener into the heart of a song.
Lost & Found includes the single Little Barefoot Millie, the moving story of a 4 year old girl who was lost after straying from her home in the remote hills around Glenrock Station, NSW in 2001. Colin had been unable to make contact with Millie until, remarkably, now 26, she surprised Colin by attending the unveiling of his plaque for the Roll of Renown!
Whether as solo troubadour or with his band, every Colin Buchanan concert is unique journey reflecting the colourful, joyful, remarkable career of one of our finest singer/songwriters.
