PAUL Kelly is one of Australia's true national treasures... but what is the story behind the musician and the man?
In Paul Kelly; the Man, the Music and the Life in Between, Stuart Coupe explores the events, influences and experiences that shaped the songwriter.
Coupe became Kelly's manager not long after he moved from St Kilda to Kings Cross in search of that big breakthrough in the mid '80s.
Kelly had released several albums in Victoria that hadn't gained much traction. And while critically acclaimed, his latest effort, Post, had not bucked the trend.
Coupe would manage Kelly and his band the Coloured Girls for the remainder of the decade.
He recounts that the songwriter used to ask him to record everything he was listening to on a mix tape as he constantly searched for new creative ideas.
Warts and all
The book opens with Kelly's band travelling along the Hume Highway en route to an ill-fated gig at Mittagong RSL. Dogged by the constant feedback screeches of a dodgy PA that was overdue for the scrap heap, the band struggles through its first set before an indifferent crowd.
At one stage, a woman approaches guitarist Steve to tell him the band is the worst she has ever heard and walks out with her group of friends.
Those early years in the mid-'80s were a challenge for the band; but the story was far from a tale without a happy ending.
From little things...
The book goes on to detail the release of Kelly's hit album Gossip and the band's breakthrough single Before Too Long.
The single received regular radio airplay and served as the launching pad for the band's breakthrough into mainstream consciousness.
Soon, Kelly had gone from Mittagong RSL to Nashville, in a trip paid for by Mushroom records in the hope it would inspire song ideas.
During the trip, Kelly hung out with Steve Earle and his manager, and made it his mission to pass his tape on to George Jones.
While Jones never covered any of Kelly's songs, his mission to share the tape speaks volumes about the determination that made him a success.
Back on home soil, the book recounts boozy jam sessions with regular gigging buddies Weddings, Parties, Anything.
The man behind the music
The book is not just about Kelly's music: it tells the story of his Adelaide upbringing as one of nine children.
His parents were devout Catholics, kind-hearted and expressed their faith in an affirmative, positive way.
Their lessons about the importance of being good to others helped shape Kelly's philosophy towards music and life.
Also covered is the impact of the loss of his father John to Parkinson's disease at the age of 52.
It tells of his passion for Indigenous affairs, his love of storytelling and his generosity to other artists, such as legend Archie Roach.
From picking up a guitar for the first time in his late teens, to receiving the Order of Australia medal, the book is the definitive tale of the life of a legend.
Paul Kelly; the Man, the Music and the Life In-between (Hachette Australia), Stuart Coupe, RRP $32.99.
