Troy Cassar-Daley brings Greatest Hits tour to Tasmania

Troy Cassar-Daley and his daughter Jem will perform intimate, acoustic shows at venues across Tasmania as part of the country music star’s national Greatest Hits tour.

Troy Cassar-Daley will perform in Tasmania as part of his Greatest Hits tour.

TROY Cassar-Daley is feeling nostalgic. Not only is the humble country music star bringing his “best of” show to Tasmania, he is also touring for the first time with his 17-year-old daughter Jem, a talented pianist and singer.

“To see your child come out and spend a gap year [between high school and university] with you, when it wasn’t expected, is a really big thrill,” he says.

“I didn’t expect this to happen. I expected Jem to maybe enjoy music, but not to come out and make a living from it.”

Troy Cassar-Daley and his daughter Jem.

Jem is opening for her dad as he plays around Australia to celebrate the release of his Greatest Hits album of 42 songs, including two new Troy Cassar-Daley originals. He will be presenting a “stripped-back” acoustic show at venues in Launceston, Queenstown, Hobart and Winnaleah.

Cassar-Daley says his daughter’s involvement in the show has made him reflect on his own musical career, which began as a 12-year-old on the streets of Tamworth, and his early experiences on the road with a band on the north coast of New South Wales, and then with the late country music legend Brian Young.

“I wasn’t thinking seriously about being a musician when I was 18,” he says. “I was just thinking about trying to pay the registration on my car, and paying board to my mother. I look back and think there were times, when I first started out, when I was very hungry and very poor, and they are the sort of times that define you.

“I remember being out on the road with Brian Young in 1990 as a 20-year-old. It was my first legitimate tour with a country artist. Brian took you out and taught you the ropes. It was amazing. I will look back on that forever in my life and feel I was so privileged I got to do that.”

The Brisbane-based Cassar-Daley has since won a staggering number of awards — 37 Golden Guitars, four ARIAs, two APRA Country Song Of The Year awards, nine Deadlys (Australian Indigenous Artist Awards) — and had 31 No.1 singles on the country chart during his 30-year career.

“The Golden Guitars are always special because I never dreamt I would win one,” he says. “Lee Kernaghan and I are up to 37 each, which is ridiculous. [Slim Dusty’s] record is 38, so I don’t want to be the one to bust that record because I love Slim. I’ll leave that to Lee.”

Cassar-Daley says it’s important to “pay back your dues”, and he helps aspiring musicians by taking them on tour each year.

He will be sharing stories about his life and songs during his “super intimate” Tasmanian shows.

Troy Cassar-Daley, with special guest Jem Cassar-Daley, will play his greatest hits at Country Club Tasmania, Launceston, on November 14; at Queenstown’s Paragon Theatre on November 15; at Wrest Point Showroom, Hobart, on November 16; and at the Winnaleah Hotel, Winnaleah, on November 17. Tickets are available from www.oztix.com.au