Australian music legend Russell Morris had the biggest selling blues album of 2016 according to ARIA.
The ARIA 2016 Jazz and Blues chart for 2016 had Morris ‘Red Dirt Red Heart’ at number two, behind the jazz release ‘Day Breaks’ by Norah Jones.
‘Red Dirt Red Heart’ was the third blues album for rock veteran Russell Morris. The 68-year legend started his music career 50 years ago at age 18 as lead singer for Melbourne band ‘Somebody’s Image’. He had his first hit with a cover of Joe South’s band in 1967 with Somebody’s Image.
In 1969, after the split of Somebody’s Image, Morris went solo and delivered what was to become an Australian classic with his first single ‘The Real Thing’.
The 70s made Russell one of Australia’s biggest stars. That decade he delivered 11 Top 50 hits.
The journey to ‘Red Dirt Red Heart’ began with the release of ‘Sharkmouth’, an album Russell began as a labour of love and self-funded the initial release. ‘Sharkmouth’ was released in 2012 and became the biggest selling Australian album of original material that year.
It also earned Russell his first ARIA award.
Next came ‘Van Diemen’s Land’. 60+ Morris found himself with yet another Top 5 album in Australia up against a sea of rappers and pop stars.
‘Red Dirt Red Heart’ kept the momentum scoring a trifecta for the veteran performer and another collection of songs unique to the Australian psyche.
Commercial radio does not get Russell. The Australian public does. He is not Flume. He is not Sia. He is not Hilltop Hoods, yet Russell Morris can compete with anything pop radio deems ‘hip and cool’.
Russell Morris will perform at Melbourne’s Caravan Club this Friday, January 20 and at Westernport Hotel in San Remo on Saturday.
