Only passion can account for the heights that Lee Kernaghan has reached in his career as a songwriter, composer, musician and, most of all, an Australian. Born on April 15, 1964 in Corryong, Victoria, at the foothills of the Snowy Mountains, the son of a truck driver and grandson of a sheep and cattle drover, his life growing up as a kid from the bush has permeated deep into his music.

Kernaghan first caught the music world's attention with a Starmaker award in 1982 but quickly found himself going nowhere. Country music did not have the popularity then that it has now and Kernaghan had to fall back on singing pop rock and rock'n roll. During these lows, he even played piano at a cocktail bar, slipping out in between sets to call bingo at a nearby club. He recalls that his worst experience from those days was a stint at the Carrier Arms Hotel where not a single person showed up for the performance.

The dark clouds broke in 1992 when Kernaghan, in collaboration with Garth Porter, released his album 'The Outback Club' which won the ARIA award. In 1993, his song 'Boys from the Bush' won him his first Golden Guitar for Song of the Year, together with another one for 'The Outback Club' as Album of the Year, and still another one as Male Vocalist of the Year. In the same year, he produced the album 'Three Chain Road Gang' which won for him five Golden Guitars at the 1994 Australian Country Music Awards, an ARIA award for Country Music Album of the Year, and a Double Platinum certification from that association.

Throughout the 90's and onward, his other chart-busting albums included: 1959, Hat Town, Electric Rodeo which went to the top of the Australian Country chart, The New Bush which was certified another Platinum by ARIA, The Big Ones and Spirit of the Bush. In 2009, he released 'Planet Country' his latest collection of songs which took two years to write and produce. Kernaghan considers this album very special and probably the highlight of his career. To date, Kernaghan has sold more than 1 million albums in Australia, has had 10 hit albums, and 26 number one hits, all of which have reached Platinum sales levels. He has also won 27 Golden Guitars and 3 ARIA awards.

With his deep love of the bush and the people of rural Australia, Kernaghan launched the 'Toyota Pass the Hat Around Australia' tour which raised over $1 million for towns and communities going through a hard time. The proceeds from the tour were used for drought and flood relief, medical equipment for hospitals in remote areas, emergency services, bushfire rebuilding projects and air conditioning for country schools.

In 2004 Kernaghan was awarded the Order of Australia medal. In 2008, the Australian government named him Australian of the Year. For things music and Australian, the passion of Lee Raymond Kernaghan has brought him a long way.

Lee is currently taking his 'Pubs, Clubs and Carparks' tour around the country - check the events calender on this site to see where he is playing near you.

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