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OH, WHAT A YEAR!
John Elliott
The past twelve months has been a hectic time for Lee. During this time he starred in the amazing Man From Snowy River Arena Spectacular, launched the Farmhand Foundation to raise funds for drought stricken farmers, released his eagerly awaited album Electric Rodeo, snared a couple of Golden Guitars at Tamworth, started his mammoth Electric Rodeo Tour, and now owns his very own pub.
The recent publican element caught everyone but Lee by surprise.
"It has been a dream of mine for years and years," Lee told me when I caught up with him having a beer in the front bar at the historic Great Western Hotel in the central Queensland city of Rockhampton. Lee had just become the proud owner of the pub a week before and had added ‘publican’ to his list of achievements this past year.
He had been in Rockhampton on tour six weeks before and a mate of his told him the Great Western was for sale.
"I came in and had a look and it looked like country music heaven to me," remembers Lee. "I did everything I could to get a hold of it.
"Owning the pub will enhance my life," Lee adds with a wicked smile on his face. "I’m learning a lot about long haul drinking at the moment."
Being a publican isn’t all fun and games. Lee feels an obligation to protect the heritage of the Great Western.
"This is such a classic hotel. It was built in 1865 and the floorboards in the front bar where we are standing right now are the very floorboards that generations of cattlemen and drovers, ringers and stockmen have stood on in the past.
"I don’t think I’ll ever really feel like the owner of the pub, the pub is part of this town and part of Queensland history and I’m just a caretaker. The pub will be here long after I’m gone. It's a privilege to be in the ‘caretaker’ position."
Lee will play an active role in running the pub and will keep the rodeos and bullrides happening in the purpose built arena at the back of the pub.
"We will also bring a lot of great country music to town," Lee told me. In opening week many of his country music mates including STEVE GIBSON, the BLUE HEELER BAND, ADAM HARVEY, BECCY COLE, BILL CHAMBERS, AUDREY AULD and THE HARRISONS turned up at the Great Western to entertain the record crowds who were in Rockhampton for Beef Week 2003. The opening week also included a rodeo and bullride and was capped off with a great concert from Lee and his band on the Friday night. This was a special night for Lee: His first show at his new pub and the night his manager Steve White announced on stage that the Country Music Association in America had honoured Lee with the first Global Artist Award. Lee invited his dad and brother, RAY and GREG KERNAGHAN, on stage to perform a celebratory song with him.
THE ELECTRIC RODEO TOUR ROCKS AUSTRALIA!
Long tours are hard yakka for many performers but not for Lee Kernaghan.
"The ultimate compliment to me is for the fans to come out and see the show, and they’re obviously having a fantastic time. I get a real buzz every night, and I can’t wait to get out there again the next night. It’s been quite a ride over the past decade, and it just keeps getting better and better!" Lee said.
Hot on the heels of his starring role in The Man From Snowy River Arena Spectacular, Lee’s Electric Rodeo Show has been barnstorming around Australia. First it was the capital cities and now Lee is taking his show to the bigger regional centres.
It has been many years since Lee has actually toured and performed night after night and the fans are loving it, with shows selling out well in advance. The Electric Rodeo Show features Lee at his best. The show features one of the biggest light shows ever with spectacular images projected onto a movie theatre sized screen behind the stage.
Fans are seeing a revitalised Lee on stage and a much more accomplished performer. Working almost every night for four and a half months in the Man From Snowy River show with some of Australia’s most respected actors has put a polish on Lee.
"I’m excited about the Electric Rodeo tour," Lee told me while catching his breath between gigs. "I went to America and saw what the top acts were doing at their concerts and thought we can do that in Australia.
"We went to the bank, got a great big loan and now we are doing it."
Later in the year Lee has plans to reconfigure the show and put it into a huge tent and travel to those small towns and communities out west in the remote areas of Australia that are starved of large shows. The Electric Rodeo experience eventually will get to most parts of Australia.
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