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VALE - CHAD MORGAN 01.01.2025


VALE CHAD MORGAN OAM – 11.2.1933 – 1.1.2025
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π‘‡β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘œπ‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘‘ π‘œπ‘“ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ 𝐢𝑀𝐴𝐴 π‘€π‘–π‘ β„Žπ‘’π‘  π‘‘π‘œ 𝑒π‘₯𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑑𝑠 β„Žπ‘’π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘“π‘’π‘™π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘›π‘˜π‘  π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘π‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘π‘–π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘› π‘‘π‘œ π‘—π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘›π‘Žπ‘™π‘–π‘ π‘‘, π‘Žπ‘’π‘‘β„Žπ‘œπ‘Ÿ, π‘π‘–π‘œπ‘”π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘π‘™π‘œπ‘ π‘’ π‘“π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘’π‘›π‘‘ π‘œπ‘“ πΆβ„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘€π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘”π‘Žπ‘›, Anna Rose π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘“π‘œπ‘™π‘™π‘œπ‘€π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘€π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘  π‘œπ‘“ π‘“π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’π‘€π‘’π‘™π‘™ π‘‘π‘œ π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘“π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘’π‘›π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π΄π‘’π‘ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘™π‘–π‘Ž'𝑠 π‘šπ‘œπ‘ π‘‘ π‘’π‘›π‘–π‘žπ‘’π‘’ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘ π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘‘ π‘π‘œπ‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘¦ π‘šπ‘’π‘ π‘–π‘ π‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘šπ‘’π‘Ÿ.

After a remarkable 72-year career in Australian country music, the legend that was Chad Morgan OAM has taken his final curtain call.


The Sheik of Scrubby Creek passed away peacefully at Gin Gin Hospital in the final hours of New Year’s Day, 2025.

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Β Photo 1:  Mike Bagnall               Photo 2:  John Elliott

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The consummate showman, comedy legend and true Aussie icon has left an indelible mark on the country music industry – and in the hearts of countless Australian friends, fans and family members.

His achievements over those seven decades in the entertainment industry are quite extraordinary, with no other artist on the planet having the longevity on stage as The Sheik.
From the moment he was named runner-up on Australia’s Amateur Hour in 1952, he ticked off one bucket-list item after another, the first being to record on the famous red-and-green label, Regal Zonophone.

He toured Australia with good mates, Slim Dusty and Joy McKean, and with his own troupe, the All-Star Western Show, featuring Kevin King, Nev Nicholls, Rick & Thel Carey, Chad’s first wife Pam Mitchell, and Canadian fiddler Peter Mollison. He’s played just about small hall and theatre and every major festival in the land, which is where he was most happy – entertaining his audience.

The after-effects of a serious motorbike accident very early in his career dogged him throughout his life, causing him to self-medicate with alcohol and pills. All of that pain would fly out the window once he was on centre stage, playing to his adoring fans – and there are generations of Chad Morgan fans. He spent a year touring Australia with Ashton’s Circus and then joined Frank Foster’s showground circuit, enjoying almost nine years on the road as a β€œshowie”.

He married shy country singer Pam Mitchell in 1956, with their union producing three children – Chad Jnr, Allan (deceased) and Janelle. The marriage did not survive the hardships of life on the road (or his wild ways) and they parted a few years after the arrival of their third child.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Chad was in demand on the silver screen taking a cameo role in Newsfront, playing Nobody Else But Little Me. His final cameo was in the August 2020 film, Slim and I. In between he had a starring role in Dimboola.

In 1984 he met Joan Morgan (who at the time was married to a cousin of Chad’s), at a party and sparks flew. Within days of that gathering, Joan had left her husband to be with the man she’d always secretly loved.

Over the years there were many false reports of Chad’s passing which infuriated him no end. He met up with Sydney-based filmmaker Janine Hosking who created the documentary, I’m Not Dead Yet!

Although the story was about Chad and these fictitious death reports, Janine says Joanie almost stole the show from her husband, with her dry wit and caring manner. That second marriage to Joanie stood the test of time, ending only in August 2017 with her very sad passing.

Chad was inducted into the Hands of Fame and elevated to the Roll of Renown. In another career first he was the first living person to witness the unveiling of his bronze bust in Bicentennial Park, Tamworth, in 2017.

He was the inaugural recipient of the CMAA Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by John Williamson – one of his true-blue mates – who said upon his passing: β€œChad was one of the few singers who showed me that you can be and sound like an Aussie, singing about his life in the bush … we have lost a real legend … he was the funniest man in country music and a very clever songwriter, as well as an incredible entertainer. I loved him very much and made sure I was the one to present him with that Golden Guitar.”

Another great mate, Bill Chambers, summed up what most who knew and loved him are feeling: β€œThere will never be another Chad Morgan!”

Chad was humbled to receive the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2004 and a host of other accolades, none of which he sought – but earned through a lifetime on the stage.

In late 2022, his life story: Chad Morgan – Seventy Years in the Making – was written by Anna Rose. The limited-edition print run of 1000 sold out within 16 months of publication.


He’s the last of the pioneers – and will never be forgotten in the annals of Australian music. A totally unique individual who can never be replaced.

For further information on Chad Morgan, please visit Chad Morgan History

Photo:  John Elliott