Kev Carmody facts for kids

Kev Carmody, born in 1946, is an Aboriginal Australian singer and songwriter. He is a Murri man from Queensland. He is famous for his song "From Little Things Big Things Grow". He wrote it with Paul Kelly. This song was later sung by a group called The Get Up Mob in 2008. It became very popular, reaching number four on the Australian music charts.

Carmody has received many awards for his music and his work. In 2009, he was added to the ARIA Hall of Fame. He also received the Queensland Greats Awards. In 2019, he won the JC Williamson Award, a very important award for live performances. Kev Carmody is also well-known for speaking up for Aboriginal rights.

Early Life and Schooling

Kevin Daniel Carmody was born in 1946 in Cairns, Queensland. His father, John "Jack" Carmody, was of Irish background. His mother, Bonny, was an Aboriginal woman from the Lama Lama and Bundjalung peoples. At that time, his parents were not allowed to marry because his mother was Aboriginal. They moved to Cairns because the rules were less strict there. Many people working in the cane fields made it easier for them.

Kevin's younger brother, Laurie, was born a few years later. In 1950, his family moved to southern Queensland. He grew up on a cattle station near Goranba, about 70 kilometers west of Dalby. They lived in a simple hut with a dirt floor. His parents worked as drovers, moving cattle. The boys had to be hidden from authorities. This was because Aboriginal children could be taken from their families.

When he was ten, Kevin and his brother were taken from their parents. This was part of a policy called the Stolen Generations. They were sent to a Catholic school in Toowoomba. Their parents were told they had to send the boys to school. Otherwise, his mother and the boys would be sent to live permanently on Great Palm Island. Carmody said they did not do much schoolwork at the school. They spent time feeding chickens and helping with chores. They could visit their parents twice a year. He did not learn to read until he was 11 years old.

After school, he returned to country life. For 17 years, he worked as a laborer. This included droving, shearing, and welding. His family put all their earnings together. They mostly lived off the land. In 1967, he married Helen, and they had three sons. They later divorced but remained friends.

University Studies

In 1978, when he was 33, Carmody started university. He enrolled at the Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education. This is now part of the University of Southern Queensland.

Carmody was very interested in music. He taught himself music and later found a teacher. She told him he was good enough for the university's music course.

Because of his limited schooling, his reading and writing skills were not strong enough for university. But he found a way. He suggested to his history tutor that he would present his research using music and his guitar. This was a new idea for a university. However, it was similar to the old Indigenous way of sharing history through stories and songs. Carmody had a lot of historical knowledge from these oral traditions. He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree. Then he did more studies and a teaching diploma. He even started a PhD in History.

At university, Carmody used music to share history. This led to his career as a musician.

Music Career Journey

Early Music: Pillars of Society

Kev Carmody started his music career in the early 1980s. He signed a record deal in 1987. His first album, Pillars of Society, came out in 1988. This album used country and folk styles. It included songs like "Black Deaths in Custody" and "Thou Shalt Not Steal." These songs talked about the unfairness and challenges faced by indigenous Australians.

In "Thou Shalt Not Steal," Carmody pointed out how British settlers brought Christianity to Indigenous Australians. They taught about the Ten Commandments, including not stealing. Yet, they took the land that Aboriginal people had lived on for over 60,000 years. Carmody stressed how important land is to Indigenous people. He sang, "The land’s our heritage and spirit." He turned the lesson around, saying, "We say to you yes, whiteman, thou shalt not steal." A music journalist called it "the best protest album ever made in Australia." Pillars of Society was nominated for an ARIA Award in 1989. Later, Carmody explored many different music styles, from reggae to rock and roll.

New Albums: Eulogy and Street Beat

Carmody's second album, Eulogy (For a Black Person), was released in 1990. It featured strong lyrics about important topics. These included deaths in custody and land rights. One song, "Blood Red Rose," was about feeling alone in a big city. Another, "Elly," told the story of a young woman trying to escape poverty. This album was also nominated for an ARIA Award in 1992.

In 1991, Carmody co-wrote "From Little Things Big Things Grow" with Paul Kelly. This song told the story of the Gurindji tribe's walkout led by Vincent Lingiari in the 1960s. This event helped start the Indigenous land rights movement. Paul Kelly & the Messengers first recorded it.

Carmody's 1992 EP, Street Beat, was nominated for an ARIA Award in 1993.

Later Works: Bloodlines and Images and Illusions

Carmody's third album, Bloodlines, came out in 1993. It included his own version of "From Little Things Big Things Grow," with Paul Kelly singing along. Bloodlines was nominated for an ARIA Award in 1994. The song "On the Wire" was nominated for an award in 1995.

In 1993, a documentary called Blood Brothers - From Little Things Big Things Grow was made about Carmody's life. It used his music and old videos.

After his fourth album, Images And Illusions, was released in 1995, Carmody decided to change his career path. He wanted to reduce the demands of the music industry. He continued to perform and speak to different groups, including Aboriginal people in prison.

New Sounds: One Night the Moon and Mirrors

In 2000, a collection of songs from his first four albums was released, called Messages. In 2001, Carmody helped write the music for the Australian film One Night the Moon. The music won an award in 2002.

After almost ten years, Carmody released his fifth album, Mirrors, in 2004. He paid for it himself. It was recorded using computer technology. The songs on Mirrors talked about current issues, like how refugees are treated. It also included sounds from the Australian bush.

Tributes and Hall of Fame

In 2007, Paul Kelly organized a special double album called Cannot Buy My Soul - The Songs of Kev Carmody. One disc had tribute songs by other artists. The second disc had songs by Carmody himself. Paul Kelly said Carmody's music was "one of our great cultural treasures."

In 2008, after the Australian government apologized to Indigenous Australians, Carmody and Kelly updated their song "From Little Things Big Things Grow." They added parts of speeches from Prime Ministers Paul Keating and Kevin Rudd. This new version, by The Get Up Mob, reached number 4 on the charts. It featured many famous Australian singers.

On August 27, 2009, Kev Carmody was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame. He joked that he must be getting in with the lowest record sales ever. At the ceremony, he said he accepted the award for the Koori culture and his family. He felt his songs came from the stories his family told him. Paul Kelly, Missy Higgins, and John Butler joined him on stage to perform "From Little Things Big Things Grow."

As of 2007, he lived with his partner Beryl on a 27-hectare bush block in south-east Queensland.

Recent Years

In 2015, EMI released a four-disc collection of his music called Recollections... Reflections... (A Journey).

In 2020, Cannot Buy My Soul: The Songs of Kev Carmody was re-released. It included new versions of his songs by other artists. To promote it, Electric Fields, Jessica Mauboy, Missy Higgins, and John Butler performed "From Little Things Big Things Grow" virtually. This performance was shown on ABC Television. The album also featured covers by artists like Jimmy Barnes and Courtney Barnett.

Carmody has reduced his musical activities because of arthritis.

Awards and Recognition

Kev Carmody has received many awards for his contributions to music and culture.

ARIA Awards

The ARIA Music Awards celebrate great achievements in Australian music.

Country Music Awards of Australia

The Country Music Awards of Australia (Golden Guitar Awards) celebrate Australian country music.

Deadly Awards

The Deadlys Awards celebrated achievements by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Helpmann Awards

The Helpmann Awards celebrate live entertainment and performing arts in Australia.

Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards recognized live entertainment in Australia.

National Indigenous Music Awards

The National Indigenous Music Awards celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians.

Queensland Music Awards

The Queensland Music Awards celebrate artists from Queensland, Australia.

Other Honours

• 2001: Australian Film Industry's Open Craft Award for an Original Score.
• 2008: Honorary Doctorate from the University of Southern Queensland.
• 2009: Named a Great Queenslander in the Queensland Greats Awards.
• 2010: "From Little Things" added to the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry.
• 2013: University of Queensland Alumni Awards: Vice Chancellor's Excellence Award for Indigenous Community Impact.
• 2022: A new student building at the University of Queensland was named Kev Carmody House.

Music Releases

Studio Albums

Soundtrack Albums

Compilation Albums

Extended Plays (EPs)

Singles

• "Jack Deelin" (1988)
• "Thou Shalt Not Steal" (February 1990)
• "Eulogy" (November 1990)
• "Cannot Buy My Soul" (December 1991)
• "Blood Red Rose" (April 1992)
• "Living South of the Freeway" (October 1992)
• "Freedom" (July 1993)
• "From Little Things Big Things Grow" (1993)
• "On the Wire" (May 1994)
• "The Young Dancer Is Dead" (1995)