But, without help from the community the bronze bust might have to go without a nose.

Coordinator Lorraine Pfitzner said so far, the committee has raised just more than $7000, and is hosting a fundraising concert during Hats Off to Country for the rest.

“I volunteer at the Tamworth Country Music Hall of Fame and people always tell me it’s on their bucket list,” she said.

“Frank is very humble about it, when I rang and asked if we could do it he said, ‘What, you mean me?’”

His hit songs include I Remember You, Lovesick Blues and Waywind Blues.

The bronze busts cost around $20,000 each, and the idea started back in 1991.

Since then it’s seen the likes of Tex Morton, Buddy Williams, Barry Thornton, Stan Coster, Reg Lindsay, Jimmy Little and Shirley Thoms cast in bronze and mounted in Bicentennial Park.

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Toyota Hats Off to Country Festival committee member Cheryl Byrnes said the bronze busts are just another feather in Tamworth’s tourism hat.

“It’s great they’ve moved it to this avenue, there’s no stopping it now,” she said.

“The fact that the community raises the money, with the Bush Balladeer Association and Lorraine doing it for such a long time – hats off to her for keeping it going.”

With enough funding, Frank Ifield’s bust will be completed and officially unveiled in January, just in time for Country Music Festival.

The fundraising concert is at the Southgate Inn on Saturday July 14 at 10am, entry by a $10 donation that goes towards the bronze bust.