Chad Morgan Announces Retirement, Last Show At 91

One of Australia’s most iconic (not to mention longest-serving) country stars, Chad Morgan, has announced he’ll finally hang the Akubra up later this year.

Morgan’s last-ever live show – dubbed his Farewell To Australia – has been locked in for Sunday April 21, taking place at the Twin Towns theatre in Tweed Heads. Tickets are on sale now – find them here.

The legendary artist’s retirement comes just over 70 years since he launched his career in 1952, when he was discovered through the radio talent quest Australia's Amateur Hour. The title of the song he entered with, The Sheik Of Scrubby Creek, has since become Morgan’s longest-lasting nickname.

He released his debut album under the same name in 1958, with regular releases following until the mid 1990s – the last being his 13th album Been There, Done That (Gonna Do It Again) in 1995. His most recent album, Quarantined, arrived in 2021.

Along the way, Morgan was the subject of a documentary film – I'm Not Dead Yet, which hit screens in 2012 – and freelance journalist Anna Rose (not to be confused with the Countrytown contributor of the same name) published his official biography, Seventy Years In The Making, in 2022.

Towards the end of last year, Morgan shared some worrying news with his fans, announcing he’d have to cancel a run of shows in Tamworth “due to ill health”. At the time, he expressed a keenness to return to the stage – this upcoming show will be his first since then.

Over his 71-year tenure, Morgan earned a suite of impressive accolades. He was inducted into the Tamworth Hands of Fame in 1979, then the Australian Roll of Renown in 1897, and he was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2004. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2010 Golden Guitars, and another another title of the same honour at the 2018 Queensland Music Awards.