His first recording was recording were custom made in New Zealand. They were 7 inch aluminium discs.  Two are believe to be in the National Film & Sound Archive in Canberra and third one the Country Music Capital’s ‘Walk A Country Mile’ set up there.  Its believed he had recorded at least 30 songs.

At the age of 16 he sailed to Australia in 1932 – with Jack Davey.

Hungry for experience, Tex drifted up to Queensland. For three years he led a rough and tumble life, jumping trains, fighting for scraps of food and sleeping in the open.  He worked on various roadshows - he was a star boxer, a  sideshow motorcycle racer riding the "wall of death" and a wild animal tamer.

In 1935 Tex returned to Sydney.  As well as joining a circus (by the age of 23, with Lance Skulthorpe Jr, he would have his own travelling cowboy show). He won first prize in a 2XY talent quest and recorded eight singles (a few of his own composition) for Columbia Records (First recording session Feb 1936 at Homebush)

He had personal permission from Banjo Patterson to record some of his works and made the occasional spot as a performer, as well as continuing to busk. It was not enough to keep the wolf from the door and he hit the road again. He ended up back in New Zealand broke and disappointed that his four year foray into the Australian entertainment scene had been unsuccessful.

In New Zealand, literally singing for his supper, Morton was confronted by the surprise of his life: life size cut-outs of himself in record stores all over the country, promoting "Tex Morton, the Singing Cowboy Sensation". "Hat on, head back, mouth open, and tonsils showing!" as Tex described it some years later.  His recordings had become a success without his knowledge, topping the charts all over Australia and New Zealand.

He found himself an idol, mobbed in the streets from Palmerston North to Perth. Described as "bigger than Sinatra", his concerts sold out instantly - the first one in Brisbane attracted a crowd of 50,000 people.

The young singer's years of hoboing, sleeping under bridges, riding on freight trains, performing in circuses and singing in the streets had miraculously paid off.  Australian legend Henry "Smoky" Dawson recalls, "When he started it was just like when the Beatles came out.  He was a complete novelty.  The country just went crazy."  A Melbourne charity group ran a competition: Tex Morton versus Bing Crosby.  The fans of each lined coins along the street to see which trail would reach the farthest. Tex won easily.

Tex's early recordings had been strongly influenced by American styles, particularly by the magic of the cinema where every week Hollywood westerns beamed mythological images of cowboys onto local movie screens. The same images were perpetrated by the American radio stars, including the singing cowboy Gene Autry and Jimmie Rodgers. In the only two songs that remain of a 1937 recording that Morton did for the Macquarie Broadcasting Network, Tex sings in a phony American accent and serenades the Blue Ridge Mountains in Wyoming Texas

But Tex's sound was developing its own distinct context to the extend that Slim Dusty, Australia's present day legend of country music, would later proclaim, "Tex's early songs laid a foundation for a lot of us to follow".  He was friend and defender of the Aborigines and many of them still sing songs of his such as "The Creamy", about the child of a white man and an Aboriginal girl.  He was fascinated by dreamtime (at numerous times in his life he would pursue his own 'walkabout'), by American Indian legends and by stories of voodoo from the Caribbean (leads he would explore in Jamaica when he later toured there).

  Some of his most famous tracks were controversial and dealt with his earlier experiences (and those familiar to many of his fans) such as a "boundary-rider", or hitching free rides on the trains. The most notable, "Sergeant Small", about a ruthless Queensland policeman who tracked down fare evaders, was withdrawn from sale in Australia because of the subject matter, making it possibly the first banned Australian disc ever. The chorus contained the immortal couplet:

During World War II petrol rationing put Morton's Wild West Circus Rodeo off the road, so Tex toured military camps with concert parties and entertained the troops instead. In 1941, at the peak of his career, Morton stopped recording. The reasons are vague, but are most likely due to wartime economics and his loyalty to his band rather than the solo acoustic guitar format that his recording company demanded. Although out of the musical eye, he didn't languish in obscurity and after the war he reformed the road show and published a series of comics, "Tex Morton's Wild West Comic" (illustrated by one of Australia's greatest cartoonists Dan Russell), which reached circulation reached 100,000 a month in Australia and New Zealand.  

In 1949 – he set off for American and fell in love with place. American record publisher Ralph Peer I. Peer couldn't believe that Morton not only topped the country charts, but regularly topped the combined sales of all Australian artists in all fields outselling Bing Crosby, Gracie Fields, Frank Sinatra and Al Jolson. Peer became Tex's manager persuaded him to tour again and to write and record new material. 

He was met at the airport by showbiz legend Gene Autry and driven by limousine to Peer’s mansion in Hollywood. He mingled with the greats of American country music, "millionaires by the dozen" he later recalled, "and of course they took it for granted that I was one too.  I'm not exactly certain, but I think I liked it for a while." Tex had a fondness for Cadillacs and toured in a customised fleet. One story has it that Autry, Tex and the boxer Maxie Rosenberg

once checked into a New York hotel and asked the Cadillac company to deliver six limousines.  From their window they chose the models they wanted.  Gene got the blue one.  Slapsie Maxie chose red and Tex bought the black one.  Of course it was sheer coincidence that the black is the colour that infuses the edge.  "They're the only car," he said, "that can stand up to the touring". Tex's lifestyle of swinging affluence was brought to an abrupt end when he was targeted by the US immigration authorities and given 24 hours to leave the country.

Forced north to Canada, Morton put together a one-man show predominantly of sharpshooting, hypnotism, poetry reading, whip cracking, mind-reading and magic, travelling under the moniker "The Great Morton". There was no singing, as the Australasian flavour of his songs was foreign to North American ears. 

"To Hell with Hollywood" crowed Tex, "what's the next town called?". 

As music historian Gordon Spittle notes in "Counting the Beat", Morton’s shows set box office records, first in Canada, where he outsold "South Pacific" during a run in Toronto, then (allowed back in the States) in Boston and St Louis. A photograph from the period, shows a queue stretching round the block for Morton’s show in Montreal – and this was after he had been doing five shows a day for 20 weeks.

He became a legend in the process - side-splittingly funny and a daredevil to boot, famous for his publicity stunt of walking blindfolded on the parapet of the tallest building in every town he played. His aim was as sharp as his stage monologues: his sister Barbara, who worked on the show in Canada, remembers him shooting a five cent piece held between an assistant's fingers, shooting cigarettes out of the mouths of girls with his .22 rifle, and firing a live bullet across a stage to split a playing card in two.

He became one of the highest paid touring entertainers in North America. He took his act to England, France and other parts of Europe where he enjoyed similar popularity.  The Saturday Evening Post named The Great Morton the greatest hypnotist of all time and the world's best sharpshooter. Singing his bush ballads, he twice played to full houses in Carnegie Hall, and in one early 1950's trip, toured Canada to earnings of US$250,000 for a six-week solo tour.

Tex was also contracted by the FBI and US Police training academies to demonstrate his marksmanship skills covering the quick-draw, safety measures, and accuracy.

Morton fitted in six months opening for Hank Williams and worked as a character actor in Hollywood. In 1953 he added to his vast repertoire of songs on disc by recording with guitarist Chet Atkins and his band members Floyd Cramer, Tommy Jackson and Jerry Byrd). The tracks included his own compositions and the album, recorded in the famous studios at the Tulane Hotel in Nashville, found its way to Australia as "The Tex Morton Story"

He created his own guitar and vocal style, a unique distinctive sound that would instantly be recognisable to future generations as the sound of Tex Morton.

Tex was the first to be elevated to the Australian Country Music Roll of Renown in 1976, and the Hands of Fame in 1977. He also picked up APRA Song Of The Year Golden Guitar in 1974 for Goondiwindi Grey, with the industry that he had almost singly handed started recognising the contribution that Tex Morton had made to Australian Country Music.

Tex Morton made and lost several fortunes. His philosophy in life was simple - money was made to be spent. He travelled the world, achieving fame and successes that that no other country artist had done before him and to this day has not equalled.
Australia’s first country & western superstar died of cancer on July 23, 1983 in Sydney, a little over a month before what would have been his 68th birthday.

He was buried in Nelson alongside his parents, his headstone inscribed with his own definitive description of himself: "Tex Morton a millionaire in the experience of life".

SOME HIGH LIGHTS – POINT FORM

1974 – Golden Guitar – Goondiwindi Grey

1976 – First to be elevated to the Rock of Renown

1977 – One of the first 3 in Hand of Fame (with Buddy & Smoky)

1982 – January – his final major performance before a crowd of 5,000 Tamworth festival

Between 1936-1939 he recorded 68 singles

His average sales of release during the late 1930’s were around 32,000 a month, phenomenal even by today’s standards.

Described as BIGGER than Sinatra. Tex Morton’s sold out instantly, his first show in Brisbane attracted 50,000 people.

Chadwick William Morgan was born in Wondai, Queensland February 11^th 1933.

He is the eldest of 14 children to Dave and Ivy Morgan.  At very early age young Chad was raised by his grandparents Bill & Eva Hopkins, and after the death of his grandfather in 1945 – Chad and his grandmother moved back to Scrubby Creek to live with his parents and siblings.

During a his national service training – he was dared by his mates in the barracks to audition for Amateur Hour – he won the Brisbane heat and was flown to Sydney where he also won the semi finals – which was October 1952

This was when he recorded ‘The Sheik of Scrubby Creek’ backed with ‘You Can Have Your Women, I’ll Stick To My Booze’ which was released on October 24, 1952.  It immediately sold thousands of copies.  In the November he took out second place in Grand Final of Amateur Hour. 

His ambition was to make a record – for Regal Zonophone label as he thought all the big artist record for that label – after that he didn’t want to do anymore and returned back to Scrubby Creek – to work cane fields, fencing and mustering cattle.

Early 1953, he went working the cattle stations around Rockhampton – Morgan decided he would spend Christmas with his family in Scrubby Creek.  After packing presents in saddle bags of his AJS500 (Motor bike) riding at 85 m/h on the old Maryborough/Childers Highway approaching a sharp corner a car in the opposite direction on the wrong side of the road with headlights on high beam dazzled him – Morgan left the road and collided with a tree.

He spent 14 months in hospital with multiple fractures to his left leg and     hand. He was unable to do manual work again – and so he decided to stick with entertainment.

Early 1955 – he landed in Sydney performing on the Reg Lindsay shows, and a spot for the ABC Outdoor Show – alongside English entertainer Donald Peers.  It was around this time EMI heard of Morgan’s performance and stated that they had bee trying to tracking him down since the Sheik was first recorded in 1952. 

They got him back into the studio to his second recording for EMI.   All his recordings were some of EMI’s biggest sellers.  (It’s believed that The Sheik song earn Chad 7 Gold Records)

His first Country tour came late 1955 when he was invited onto the Slim Dusty Show as a novelty act and the shows main draw card.  When you have an act on a show that gets more encores etc – it’s bound to become a disaster.  This was happening on the Slim Dusty Show.  Morgan left the show, although was asked to return. It was on this tour he met his first wife Pam Mitchell.

Another tour with Slim came in 1956 – as mentioned in the Slim Dusty story where he wrote the words down to the Pub With No Beer for Gordon Parsons.

1958 – First Australian Country Music Entertainer to be released on an LP – that is a  10inch LP (later went to 12inch) – Everyone thought it was going to be Slim Dusty – until Chad received a call from Ron Wills of EMI about the historical event.  The album was ‘The Sheik of Scrubby Creek’

The same year (1958) – Morgan teamed up with Nev Nicholls, Kevin King, Rick & Thel Carey and Canadian fiddler Peter Mollerson – and went on the road as ‘The All Star Western Show’ – it was classed as the biggest travelling variety show if its time.  It was short lived – by March 1959 – the first Chad Morgan show hit the road with Rick & Thel Carey and Athol McCoy.  In 1960 the new Chad Morgan show hit the road with Trevor Day, Les Partel, Kenny Bowtell (comedian), Kit Evans.

After a short stint in Ashton’s Circus in 1962 – Morgan spent 9 years on the Showground with promoter Frank Foster.  He performed alongside many in the industry between those years – including Rock’n’Roll and Pop performers Johnny O’Keeffe and Normie Rowe, Peter Doyle, Ronnie Burns to names a few. 

He is a genius at the best of times.  He would build his own amplifiers which he used on his early shows and also on his early recordings – the late Paul Lester who toured with Chad swore by the Morgan amplifiers and had often used it.

In 1977 he appeared in the award winning Aussie Film, Newsfront where he performed a song written by Colin James ( Radio announcer ) titled ‘Nobody Else But Little Me’ – Morgan also appeared in Dimboola which was another Aussie film in 1978 about a knockabout Australian wedding.  The latter, he played a drunken reprobate Bayonet.

One of Morgan’s highlights of his career – was performing at Sydney Opera House with Slim Dusty in April 1978.  He received encore after encore, however this was never released on the actual album.  The album itself was kept on multi-tapes for about 3 years then it was released under the title ‘One & Off The Road. . . It was released the same year as ‘Sheilas Drongos Dills & Other Geezers’ which contained 20 of Morgan’s biggest hits from the 50’s & 60’s.  The album was released to the tune of $100,000 (one hundred thousand dollars) advertising campaign and it was the first Morgan had outsold Slim Dusty. 

The advertising campaign was canned before it went interstate.  The album had gone GOLD in the first fortnight of its official release – a PLATINUM shortly followed.  The album was never recognised – it wasn’t until 1993 – Morgan received the GOLD disc for the sales, and I had the previldge of presenting him the PLATINUM disc in Tamworth in 2003.   The album ‘Sheilas Drongos Dills is still available through EMI.

In 1984 – Chad met and married his 2^nd wife Joan (married Sept 14^th 1985 on the Gold Coast).  Joan was often credited for getting the Sheik back on track – although she may have been supportive, it was Chad who eventually said enough was enough.  He gave up the drink and the smokes shortly followed – that was more than 25 years ago.

His final recording with EMI Music came in 1984 which was deleted from the catalogue by the following year – the album was ‘Chad Charms the Bird.   Later he released his recordings through BMG then Larrikin and now his own label. 

It was 1984 he was invited to perform with young Rock bands ‘The Johnnys’ and ‘Metal As Anything’.   The show was held at Chevron Hotel Sydney it was the first time Morgan performed his comedy routine to a full house of Rock fans who – he enjoyed those type of shows. . .   (Floreena I may elaborate regarding these shows)

In 1987 – Chad was presented the Roll of Renown – which was the 2^nd high light of his career. 

In 2009 – Chad wrote a song about his Aboriginal heritage, dedicated to his grandparents who raised him as a child titled ‘Balled of Bill & Eva’.  It was recorded with his grand-daughter Caitlin Morgan.

The song was put forward to Tamworth as a Heritage Song – but it was thrown out, word got back that the 2010 Heritage Award was already voted – and that Chad’s song about his Aboriginal heritage wouldn’t be worthwhile submitting not even as an nomination.

Morgan was the only Australian Country Music Pioneer who had never received a Gold Guitar – this was until a film documentary people started asking questions which prompt – the organisers in Tamworth in 2009 – to present a Gold Guitar to Chad at 2010 Tamworth Awards. 

It was a Life Time Achievement Award – he was greeted with a standing ovation.  His speech was quick and to the point.  He thanked his loyal fans, and his wife who stood by him over the years – and to you Country Artist – to lay low for 56 years and they too may end up with a gold guitar.

In 2009 – A Film Crew has been travelling around with Morgan for a documentary that maybe released late 2011. 

Chad had recently changed touring partners – Gordon Larkin who has been with Morgan since around 1990 – has been very ill.  Morgan now tours with Ian Muirs taking the Chad Morgan Show out to the fans.  This month (July) he will be in Tamworth for the Hats Off to The Pioneers.