Arts in Australia country music, which has developed a style quite distinct from its US counterpart, influenced by Celtic folk ballads and the traditions of Australian bush balladeers like Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson. Pioneers of popular country music in Australia included Tex Morton in the 1930s and Smoky Dawson from the 1940s onward. Slim Dusty (1927–2003) was known as the "King of Australian Country Music". His successful career spanned almost six decades and his 1957 hit "A Pub With No Beer" was the biggest-selling record by an Australian to that time, the first Australian single to go gold, and the first and
The Folk Singer in 1970, the song reached a wider audience from these versions. "The Folk Singer" was recorded by Australian post-punk group Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in 1985, with a slightly altered lyric, under the title "The Singer." First released as a single in June 1986, the song later appeared on the band's third studio album, "Kicking Against the Pricks", which was composed entirely of cover versions. "The Singer" was performed live on all of the band's following tour dates throughout 1986—1989 and on a number of other occasions up until 2005. The Folk Singer "The Folk Singer" is a