Tamworth Country Music Festival 2022: Three golden generations of country music back where it all began at Tamworth town hall

The Tamworth locals have already made history as the first family to share three generations of Golden Guitar Awards.

The legendary Rex Dallas won his first in 1975, his granddaughter Ashleigh Dallas snagged her first in 2014, and in 2018, her father Brett Dallas completed the trifecta.

On Wednesday night, Ash added another two to the family's tally, winning Female Artist of the Year and Video of the Year with Luke O'Shea.

And the dynasty just keeps growing - now they're looking to a fourth generation with Ash's three-year-old daughter Harriet.

Speaking to the Leader at their "heart of home", the Tamworth town hall, Ash said it's been inspiring to grow up surrounded by such amazing mentors.

"Music was always around, it was never forced upon us to take that path, but it's what we were adsorbing, what we were seeing," she said.

"It's not until now that I look back and think 'it's a very cool upbringing'."

Tonight, the three generations will take to the stage together for the first time at the town hall for Ash's Heart Of Home show.

For Rex, it marks 50 years of performing in Tamworth. The hall is extra special too - it's where he won his first ever golden guitar.

Thinking about getting on stage with Ash makes him so proud, it almost brings him to tears when he speaks about it.

"I'm going to be so proud to be able to walk out on stage with Ash, Lindsey [Ash's brother] and my son Brett who has done so much production for me over the years," he said.

"For us all to be on stage and maybe Harriet popping in, is going to be really special.

"It will be hard for me to hold my tears back I think because I'll be so proud."

As the patriarch of the family, Rex has passed his knowledge down over the years, teaching them all he knows about the business.

"When I started I was solo for a long time doing what we called in those days the hillbilly music," he recalls.

"Then I went into rock 'n roll, and after I did my first roadshow with Rick and Thel, I decided to put my own show together.

READ ALSO:

"Brett began playing at a very young age during my shows, and my other son Colin on the drums. It was the first thing I taught them, to play musical instruments.

"Of course Brett got married, Colin got married and they started their families and along came the third generation with Ashleigh and her brother Lindsay and it's gone on from there. And now we're looking to the fourth generation."

Brett's first memory of the town hall was in 1973 when the first Golden Guitars were presented, sitting two or three rows back from the stage.

"Way back then I thought 'wow look at this', it was huge," he said.

"Over the years I've played on the town hall stage in different bands or circumstances but just to be up there with dad, Ashleigh and Lindsey my son, and who knows, Harriet might pop up - it's very special."

For Ash, the venue is where it all begun as a little girl with a guitar and big dreams.

Heart of Home is presented by the Tamworth Regional Conservatorium of Music, where Ash started her musical studies at the age of two and in the past year became a proud staff member in the Early Childhood Teaching faculty.

The show kicks off at 8:15pm.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: