Youngie/Youngy, as he was known by friends all over, or Tjilpi, as he was called by his many Indigenous friends across the nation, was one of a kind.

Tjilpi is a respectful term meaning “old man” and is reserved for elders in the Indigenous culture.

Winning the World Champion Bull Riding title at age 18 at Home Hill, Brian Young appeared to have all the ingredients for a career in rodeo, but an injury put paid to any longevity in that arena.

Youngie turned his hand to his other love, writing country music story-songs of Australia and its inhabitants.

He toured with the All Star Western Show in the late 1950s, with fellow performers including Rick and Thel Carey, Nev Nicholls, Kevin King and Chad Morgan, among others.

The touring life appealed to Youngie and he continued hooking up with other performers, travelling the country, taking his music to the masses.

His recording career began in 1961 with one of his own compositions, Black Man Jacky Jacky, released on W&G Records.

He also recorded for EMI and was later signed to Ross Murphy’s Opal Records label in about 1975, with Young Country his first Opal recording.

Pretty much an all-rounder, Youngie did a stint of acting on the small screen, with appearances in Matlock in the 1970s.

In 1977 he started his own touring show, the Brian Young Show. Each year he would take expeditions out to farflung regions of Australia, often chartering an aeroplane to reach the most remote places, and in the process taught a legion of youngsters about showmanship and about life in general.

Several of those youngsters who got a start with Youngie voiced their grief on Facebook this week after the news broke of his passing.

Troy Cassar-Daley was moved to write the following about the man he was so inspired by.

“Another loss for the year, a hero and good mate, Brian Young passed away ... You may not know a lot about Youngy (as he was known by his friends), but he had a hand in getting so many of us started in this industry and was someone I looked up to as a true gentleman.

“My time out on the road with him taught me so much musically and really helped me mature as a bloke.

“I want to send my condolences to all his family and to the many, many friends he has across this country that he loved and travelled so much. He will be missed from Weipa FNQ, Napperby SA, Derby WA, Cloncurry QLD, Timber Creek NT and by me. RIP Youngy. I guess this is where the cowboy rides away, old mate. We love ya.

“Troy xxx”

Pete Denahy stopped for a moment to remember the expressions of Youngie’s that would bring a smile to people’s faces when they heard them.

“Hell, he had some sayings,” Pete posted on Facebook. “Such as ‘I can’t stand bloody idiots, ay’ and ‘Youves of the nation!’ when a bunch of delinquents walked past. His respect for all people, his hearty laugh, his tours that took us out of civilisation and taught us what civilisation is – great memories – we learnt a lot from Youngie. Rest in peace and God bless, old son. Pete Denahy.”

It’s been reported the longest tour went for 13 weeks and covered 22,000km of the remotest parts of Australia.

As well as taking fresh-faced young kids and turning them into fair dinkum musicians, his tours also took leading artists like Col Hardy, Auriel Andrew, Roger Knox and Jimmy Little to people starved for entertainment – giving them just what they needed.

Awards came his way over the years – not that he ever sought reward for doing what he loved.

One of the first major accolades to come his way was his induction into the Country Music Hands of Fame in 1978. 

He released several albums including Big Fella Wadumba, People and Places I’ve Known, Voice of the Outback, The Best of Brian Young and 2007’s The Last of the Travelling Showmen, his final recording on the LBS label.

In 1999, he was elevated to the Australasian Country Music Roll of Renown. That same year, the gifted wordsmith was also recognised by the Tamworth Songwriters’ Association as its Songmaker of the Year.

He followed these at Tamworth 2000 with the TSA’s Tex Morton Award and the Outback Trailblazer Award. In the Queen’s birthday honours list in 2001, he was the worthy recipient of the Order of Australia medal.

In recent years his health had declined and was a resident at Moonby House Nursing Home.

At the time of his passing he was five months short of his 81st birthday.

His funeral service will be held at 11am tomorrow at the Lincoln Grove memorial gardens, Gunnedah Rd, Tamworth, followed by a wake at the Oasis Hotel.

TOMORROW night at The Loft in Tamworth, a show was planned that will never be presented in quite the same way it was originally intended.

Den Hanrahan, Irish folk singer-songwriter Gallie, and Scots-born Aussie Karl Broadie were to have performed there.

With the passing of our dear friend Karl last month, Mick Daley has stepped into the breach and will join Den and Gallie for a night to remember.

“It was going to be like one of those crazy jokes you hear – you know – an Australian, an Irishman and a Scotsman walked into a bar … or at least that’s how it was planned,” Den said.

“The hardest part about losing Karl was he such a genuinely lovely bloke, with not a bad word to say about anyone.

“We’ve made some adjustments and will be doing our show in a similar vein to others held there recently – each of us doing our own set, and then we might get together for a song or two at the finish.”

Mick Daley has been touring widely with his fabulous new album, Tiny Violins.

Gallie might be a stranger today, but he won’t be after you’ve enjoyed a set of his original folk tunes tomorrow night.

Den will showcase some new songs he’s putting on an album that’s about three-quarters finished.

“I’m going to bring out the banjo too. I’ve been doing a lot of that lately,” Den said.

He’s been playing banjo for the past 15 years or more, but has just recently fallen in love with that raw, claw-hammer sound made popular by bluegrass king Earl Scruggs.

The music will be unquestionably great – and the atmosphere at The Loft can’t beaten.

Your host, Sandy Rixon, will cook up a veritable feast for her guests, which can be purchased throughout the evening.

Then there’s the ambience – the relaxed, lounge-style seating – and the fact that it’s BYO is another bonus.

Showtime is 7pm and tickets are $15 at the door. A bargain.

Where else would you be on a Friday night in Tamworth?

Certainly not at home watching the footy when you can see fabulous, live music from professionals who’ve travelled a long way to entertain us.

If you’re not sure where to find The Loft, it’s at the rear of CH on Peel, in the laneway on the first flight of stairs on your left.