Strings of kindness: Lynette Guest's musical path of love, life, and an OAM

Mrs Guest started singing at age four and was doing live TV performances by age six.

But it's her devotion to community causes that's earned her a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) this year.

Mrs Guest and her husband Rodney Walker - more commonly known as Rodney the Clown - have been guest starring at charity events for decades.

They've raised money for a huge range of causes including small-town sports clubs, former mine horses or "pit ponies", and a range of local charities.

"I'm not the only artist, but I've been on shows and concerts to raise money for Jodie's House. That's a refuge for women and children," Mrs Guest said.

"But you don't think anything of it. It's just if you can, you come down for this or that."

For more than 10 years Mrs Guest and Mr Walker put on monthly shows at Broadlands Tamworth retirement village to fund raise for the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame, up until it was taken over by Tamworth council in 2021.

Speaking on receiving an OAM, Mrs Guest said it's a huge honour which came as a huge surprise. When she first got the call from Canberra's Government House she thought it was a scam.

The country music singer thanks her family back in Yarrawonga, Victoria, her hometown on the Murray River, as well as all the friends and colleagues who have helped her along her lyrical journey.

"Mum taught me a few chords when I was a kid and it all just sort of picked up from there," Mrs Guest said.

"Everything was new to them, we were only learning for ourselves at home. But dad looked into it, he was a go-getter. The TV station GMU-6 Shepparton was just starting up in 1962 and he brought me round to see them,"

"There was nothing around for kids, nothing like today, so we just had to break ground, make connections, and find our way."

From that fatesome encounter blossomed The GMU-6 Juniors Show, kicking off a long series of TV appearances for Mrs Guest from the time she was seven years old to the time she moved up to Tamworth, years later

She says being a child star was hard work, but it never kept her from getting an education or making friends.

"I still went to school. We had a community in Mulwala [twin town to Yarrawonga] of kids that were singing or playing pianos.," Mrs Guest said.

"In the little town we had to provide our own entertainment for kitchen teas and whatnot. We were always at the Mulwala Hall being the entertainment."

Once she finished school Mrs Guest toured Australia with Buddy Williams. Seeing more of the country inspired her to come up to Tamworth in 1975 for the Amateur Country Music Talent Quest.

It was during this trip Mrs Guest says she "apparently" met her future husband.

"Apparently my husband-to-be came up and spoke to us, but I was too busy to take notice of him. I was going from section to section of the town hall to compete in the solo section, the duo section, the full band section. I didn't have time," she said with a laugh.

While it wasn't love at first sight, Mrs Guest came back up to Tamworth several times to record a couple of albums with Opal Records.

It was during that time Mr Walker made his move.

"He came around on a horse. Rod's place was nearby so he just rode up and introduced himself," Mrs Guest said.

"From there on it bloomed."

Nowadays the couple live in Westdale a few blocks away from their daughter. Both retired, they live a relaxed life, still making guest appearances on music albums or doing charity shows when they have the time.