KIRSTY LEE AKERS RETURNS TO TAMWORTH WITH FAMILY, MUSIC AND A LONG MEMORY
BY MIRANDA SAUNDERS
If you’re spending time in Tamworth this week, Kirsty Lee Akers feels familiar.
This is her 35th Country Music Festival. Her family history here runs even longer. Her younger sister was two weeks old the first time they camped in Tamworth. Her mum has been attending the festival for more than 45 years.
For Akers, this isn’t a once-a-year visit. It’s part of how she grew up.
Home never feels far
Akers grew up in Kurri Kurri and now lives in Wangi Wangi in the Hunter Valley.
The drive between the two towns takes about 40 minutes. She still teaches in Kurri Kurri one day a week, which means she gets home often.
She says no matter where work takes you, driving back into your hometown always feels familiar.
Learning about culture later in life
Akers says her Aboriginal heritage wasn’t talked about when she was growing up.
Her great-grandmother was taught to hide it. She avoided photos and didn’t speak about where she came from.
After her great-grandmother passed away, Akers started going through family photos and records. That’s when she learned more about her background.
She says acknowledging where she comes from matters now, especially because earlier generations couldn’t speak openly.
Country music felt normal at home
Country music filled Akers’ house as a kid.
Her nan, mum and aunties all sang. Family gatherings meant sitting together and singing.
She thought every family did that until she started school.
That’s why Tamworth always felt comfortable. People here shared the same love of country music.
Starting young and saving carefully
Akers first performed at three years old, winning a local talent quest in the Hunter Valley.
By four, she was busking on Peel Street during the festival. Her mum made her save the money she earned.
By 16, she had enough to record her first EP.
Many career milestones happened in Tamworth.
Key moments:
First talent quest win as a child
Busking on Peel Street
First EP recorded at 16
Toyota Star Maker win at 18
First record deal
First national tour
First Golden Guitar
Toyota Star Maker changed her career
Akers won Toyota Star Maker at 18. Next year marks 20 years since that win.
She says it led to her first album, her first tour and a Golden Guitar the year after.
Why she keeps playing After decades in country music, Akers says the reason she keeps going is simple. She loves it.
She doesn’t see music as work. She says she’d still need it in her life even if she wasn’t doing it professionally.
Why community radio still matters
Akers says community radio continues to play a strong role for country artists, especially independent ones.
She says before country music appeared more often on mainstream radio, community stations were often the only place you could hear it.
If you’re listening this morning, she says, you’re part of why artists like her keep coming back to Tamworth.