Ashcroft and Kayler Legacy Collection handover
Saturday 28 May, 2022
The Legacy Collection of the late Johnny Ashcroft and his wife Gay Kayler was today presented to the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame.
Alongside family and friends, Ms Kayler gifted one of the most comprehensive collections of Australian country music memorabilia. The Ashcroft and Kayler Legacy Collection complements the Hall of Fame’s existing pieces in showcasing pioneering artists through time.
Tamworth Regional Council Art Gallery and Museums Director, Bridget Guthrie said the gift comes at an exciting time for the Tamworth region with the recent celebration of the 50th Tamworth Country Music Festival.
“As Max Ellis writes in his recent look at the Festival’s history – Stars, Hurrahs and Golden Guitars – legend has it that it was Johnny Ashcroft who first voiced the need for a national country music awards in Australia,” Ms Guthrie said.
“Out of that came the inception of today’s Golden Guitar Awards, followed by the Festival itself. Now an event of national significance, the Festival holds immense meaning to Australian communities, existing and emerging artists, not to mention the country genre itself.”
The collection includes 79 recordings and 977 artefacts, including Johnny’s Medal of the Order of Australia for his contribution to the arts, entertainment industry and Indigenous social justice.
“When I look back at all of his career memorabilia, it is really a story of Australian country music and Australia,” Ms Kayler said.
Tamworth Country Music Festival co-founder Max Ellis said Johnny always focused on Australian material and Australian heritage.
“We’re not just about music, we’re about Australian music and how the heritage of Australia is recorded in that music and preserved” Mr Ellis said.
Helping piece together the rich history and culture of Australian country music, the collection items now have a permanent home in Australia’s Country Music Capital.