I was saddened to hear the news this evening that Jimmy Little has passed away after a long battle with illness. At the age of 75 he slipped away in his sleep.
Like many music lovers of my generation I became aware of his music in 1999, when artists like Paul Kelly, The Church, and Nick Cave covered his songs on the Messenger album. After that I was impressed when he took on the songs of U2, PJ Harvey, and other modern musicians on his Life’s What You Make It record.
However Jimmy had hits from the 1950s, including songs like “Royal Telephone,” “El Paso,” and the Barry Gibb penned “One Road.”
The music is just one part of the Jimmy Little story though. He founded The Jimmy Little Foundation in 2006 and campaigned tirelessly to increase the life expectancy of indigenous Aussies. He’s got an Order of Australia, a NSW Senior Australian of the Year title, and he’s in the ARIA Hall of Fame.
For all these things and more, he will be missed.
Image source: Jimmy Little website