Jimmy Little
Jimmy Little has been entertaining Australians for over 50 years. "Royal Telephone" in 1963 sold more than 75,000 and in 1964 Jimmy was named Pop Star of the Year. Jimmy began acting in the late ‘50’s with a major role in “Shadow of the Boomerang” and later appeared plays by Tracey Moffatt and Wim Wenders “Until the end of the world”.
In the 1980’s Jimmy began teaching young aboriginal students and was awarded the honour of being the recipient of the National Aboriginal Day of Observance Committee's "Aboriginal of the Year" award in 1989
In 1994 he was elevated to the prestigious Tamworth Roll of Renown.
1999 his CD “Messenger” introduced Jimmy to a whole new audience through airplay on youth network JJJ FM. The album achieved gold status and was voted as Adult contemporary album of the year. Jimmy was also inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame that year. In 2004 Jimmy was awarded the Order of Australia for his service to the entertainment industry, ongoing work in schools and his commitment and unsung work for the reconciliation process.
In March 2004 the National Trust added Jimmy to the list of ‘National Living Treasures and ABC TV aired a documentary on Jimmy’s life entitled ‘Jimmy Little – A Gentle Journey’ but if you ask Jimmy though he would probably say that the greatest gift of that year was to be the recipient of a new kidney that has given him a new lease on his remarkable life.
While recovering from the transplant Jimmy turned to a project he had been discussing with his manager since 2000. In August 2006, Jimmy launched The Jimmy Little Foundation, to help provide a healthier future for Indigenous Australians particularly those with renal disease in remote Australia.
Jimmy has now received three honorary doctorates and several MO awards to add to his collection from the 60’s and 70’s but at a time in his life (he’s now 70 years old), when frankly many of us would be looking for a nice place to sit and watch the world go by, Jimmy continues to inspire us all with his work and dedication to doing what he can to make the world close to us a better place.
