Country music icon Chad Morgan celebrates 70 years since recording debut album The Sheik of Scrubby Creek

At the start, his ambition was to make a record with music label Regal Zonophone, "because that's what all the cowboys, hillbillies were on".

His aspiration saw him almost turn down a deal offered by record label EMI - until he was made aware EMI is the parent company of Regal Zonophone.

Following the recording of Mr Morgan's debut album The Sheik of Scrubby Creek in 1952, he went to North Queensland and worked on a cattle station.

A terrible motorcycle accident left his leg broken in five places and he was bedridden for a week. It was while he was stuck at home that he received a decent-sized royalty check.

He told his grandmother: "I'm gonna try my luck in Sydney."

In the big city he met Australian country artist Geoff Mack, who showed him the ropes.

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He didn't go anywhere near the recording studio for about three years after recording The Sheik of Scrubby Creek. His record label finally found him at a New Year's Eve party.

Mr Morgan said they told him they'd spent the last three years searching for him to get him back in the recording booth again.

"That's how it started and the rest is more or less history," he said.

In 2021, Mr Morgan released an album titled Quarantine. His health wasn't affected by the pandemic, but he said he's missing two years of his life.

"I think everybody is, it's not just me," he said.

"There's a lot of people who are worse off than me, and I've been lucky that I've never had anything.

"I've had four jabs, and if that doesn't work, well, my time is up and I'm going anyway."

Performing is the only thing that keeps him alive, according to Mr Morgan.

He has become a staple of the Tamworth Country Music Festival.

Over the years Mr Morgan has been the recipient of all the honours the festival offers, such as becoming the 1987 inductee on the Roll of Renown and having a bust in his likeness revealed in 2017.

He said he only comes to the festival to perform for his fans, though.

"People come to see me, they come every year for the last 20-odd years, they come here to see me for nothing," he said.

"This place has looked after me, I'll do the same."

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