Moves afoot to honour Uncle Roger Knox with a bronze statue in Peel St

A joint meeting of the Tamworth Region Arts Advisory Committee and Tamworth Region Inclusive Culture Advisory Committee on January 10 has recommended council recognise musician Uncle Roger Knox with a bronze statue along Peel Street.

Committee members will ask council to support an investigation into the "potential" to erect the bronze tribute, noting there was "a movement within the community" to recognise Uncle Roger as an artist and the important role he has played in the history of the Tamworth Country Music Festival.

Widely known as the 'black Elvis', Uncle Roger moved to Tamworth at 17 to start his career as a gospel singer.

Recognised for his hairstyle and snappy dress sense, Uncle Roger had five albums under his belt, and had toured the globe many times when he was inducted into the Galaxy of Stars during the 2022 Tamworth Country Music Festival.

Uncle Roger has a long lost of industry awards.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the National Indigenous Music Awards in Darwin in 2018.

In 2006 he was the recipient of the Jimmy Little Award for Lifetime Achievement in Aboriginal and Torres Strait music at the Deadly Awards, and in 2004 was inducted into the Country Music Hands of Fame.

Uncle Roger was awarded two NAIDOC awards, National and NSW Indigenous Artist of the Year, in 1993, and in 2002 also contributed to the album Gamilaraay and Yuwaalaraay Songs, a compilation of language songs.

Other items on council's agenda will include: