Education
In 1926 Dawson left school to work to help support the family and also began singing, yodelling and playing concertina and harmonica at local dances.
Guitarist musician radio and television presenter songwriter
In 1926 Dawson left school to work to help support the family and also began singing, yodelling and playing concertina and harmonica at local dances.
By 1932, playing guitar and dobro, Dawson formed a duo with his brother Ted (bass/guitar). They sang and played to crowds outside Melbourne theatres and broadcast on 3JR.
In 1934 Smoky Dawson formed a Western group and appeared on radio 3UZ. In 1941 he signed with Columbia Records and toured around Australia. When he returned from the war he married Florence "Dot" Cheers (in 1944), and they travelled to the United States to record and play at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.
During the 50s, Dawson recorded nine more sessions and in 1957, established the Smoky Dawson Ranch, which for over 20 years occupied most of his time, until he leased it to a company. He also acted as a technical advisor to films and television shows as well as supplying stock. Between 1973 and 1979, he made daily appearances on Channel 9 television and resumed his touring. In 1978 he joined two other Australian pioneers of country music Tex Morton and Buddy Williams, when he became the third artist to be elected to the newly created Country Music Roll Of Renown (Australia’s equivalent to Nashville’s Country Music Hall Of Fame).
In 1978 he also was awarded an MBE for his services to country music. In 1983 he was named on the Australian Country Music Roll of Renown.
In 1988 Smoky and Trevor Knight won The Heritage Golden Guitar with their recording of "The Days of Old Khancoban" (written by Smokey about the droving days of his youth in the Snowy Mountains). Tony Taunton (Vocals & guitar -Nowra) & Debbie Bowen(-Saunders) (Vocals & guitar-Brisbane), ( both formally with Trevor Knight in "the Newport Trio"), were on the same recording, but neither were credited. Tony Taunton, from Nowra, NSW, also recorded & dedicated a song to Smoky, "When Smoky Sings" that same year, recalling his own childhood growing up with Smoky as his radio hero, and then the pride in playing with him. Debbie & Tony & Trevor were also on another recording of one of Smokys compositions: "The Last of the Wild-West Shows", mourning the loss of the Wild-West tent shows that Smoky ran for around 10 years both in Australia & America following the agricultural exhibition/show circuit with Dot, where he was a sharp-shooter, guitar/singer, Lasso, trick rider & had trick horses, including "Boxer", a big heavy half-draught who would 'fall down dead' when trick-shot. The following year Trevor and Smoky followed up that success with a 2nd Golden Guitar for their song "High Country".