Russell Norman Morris (born 31 July 1948) is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist who had five Australian Top 10 singles during the late 1960s and early 1970s. On 1 July 2008, the

Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replac ...

(ARIA) recognised Morris' status when he was inducted into the

ARIA Hall of Fame In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanim ...

. "The Real Thing" was added to the

National Film and Sound Archive The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national c ...

Sounds of Australia The Sounds of Australia, formerly the National Registry of Recorded Sound, is the National Film and Sound Archive's selection of sound recordings which are deemed to have cultural, historical and aesthetic significance and relevance for Australi ...

registry in 2013.

Career

1966–1968: Beginnings and 'Somebody's Image'

Morris' career started in September 1966, when Morris was 18 years old with the formation of the Melbourne group Somebody's Image, together with Kevin Thomas (rhythm guitar), Phillip Raphael (lead guitar), Eric Cairns (drums) and Les Allan (also known as "Les Gough") (bass guitar). Somebody's Image quickly developed a strong following at Melbourne's premier venues. It wasn't long before the band came to the notice of Go-Set staff writer

Ian Meldrum Ian Alexander "Molly" Meldrum AM (born 29 January 1943) is an Australian music critic, journalist, record producer and musical entrepreneur. He was the talent co-ordinator, on-air interviewer, and music news presenter on the former popular mus ...

and the group had a local hit version of the

Joe South Joe South (born Joseph Alfred Souter; February 28, 1940 – September 5, 2012) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Best known for his songwriting, South won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1970 for " Gam ...

song "

Hush Hush may refer to: Film and television * ''Hush'' (1921 film), starring Clara Kimball Young * ''Hush'' (1998 film), starring Gwyneth Paltrow * ''Hush!'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film directed by Ryosuke Hashiguchi * ''Hush'' (2005 film), starring ...

", which peaked at number 15 on the national chart. (the song reaching No. 2 on the local Melbourne charts) Meldrum's support and hard work promoting the band helped them to secure a firmer recording deal with

EMI Records EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company of the same name in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succ ...

. The result was their third single "Hide And Seek" which peaked at No. 32 in Melbourne. It was their last release with their original singer with Russell leaving Somebody's Image in September 1968.

1969–1971: Solo career and "The Real Thing"

Morris' debut solo single was a near seven-minute production extravaganza around a song called " The Real Thing", released in March 1969. "The Real Thing" was written by

Johnny Young Johnny Young (born Johnny Benjamin de Jong; 12 March 1947) is a Dutch Australian singer, composer, record producer, disc jockey, television producer and host. Originally from Rotterdam, The Netherlands, his family settled in Perth in the early ...

, produced by

Molly Meldrum Ian Alexander "Molly" Meldrum AM (born 29 January 1943) is an Australian music critic, journalist, record producer and musical entrepreneur. He was the talent co-ordinator, on-air interviewer, and music news presenter on the former popular mus ...

and engineered by

John L Sayers John L Sayers (d. 14 September 2021) was a New Zealand-born Australian recording engineer, producer and studio designer who engineered and/or produced many classic Australian rock and pop albums and singles from 1969 to the present. Sayers is o ...

. The backing track was performed by members of Melbourne soul band

The Groop The Groop were an Australian folk, R&B and rock band formed in 1964 in Melbourne, Victoria and had their greatest chart success with their second line-up of Max Ross on bass, Richard Wright on drums and vocals, Don Mudie on lead guitar, Bri ...

, which included

Brian Cadd Brian George Cadd AM (born 29 November 1946) is an Australian singer-songwriter, keyboardist, producer and record label founder, a staple of Australian entertainment for over 50 years. As well as working internationally throughout Europe and the ...

, Richard Wright (drums) and Don Mudie (bass) as well as Zoot guitarist Roger Hicks (who composed and performed the acoustic guitar

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...

) and backing vocalists

Ronnie Charles Ronnie may refer to: *Ronnie (name), a unisex pet name and given name * "Ronnie" (Four Seasons song), a song by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe *"Ronnie," a song from the Metallica album '' Load'' *Ronnie Brunswijkstadion, an association football stadium ...

(The Groop), the Chiffons (including

Maureen Elkner Maureen is a female given name. In Gaelic, it is Máirín, a pet form of '' Máire'' (the Irish cognate of Mary), which is derived from the Hebrew Miriam. The name has sometimes been regarded as corresponding to the male given name Maurice. Som ...

) and Marcie and The Cookies' Sue Brady and Judy Condon. "The Real Thing" is one of the classic psychedelic singles of the 1960s. The release unsettled radio programmers, who had never been asked to play such a long Australian single before, and a shortened version which omitted the extended coda was often played. At around six minutes and thirty seconds, it was the longest pop single recorded in Australia at that time, although

The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developm ...

' "

Hey Jude "Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a non-album single in August 1968. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The single was the Beatles' first relea ...

" at nearly 7 minutes had appeared the year before and is an obvious influence on the song's extended structure. The single reached Australia's Number 1 spot in June 1969, and number one in Chicago,

Houston Houston (; ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, the Southern United States#Major cities, most populous city in the Southern United States, the List of United States cities by population, fourth-most pop ...

and New York City, despite international distribution difficulties. It was the biggest selling Australian single of 1969. The song was followed by " Part Three into Paper Walls" was released in July 1969. The track was co-written by

and Morris and arranged by

John Farrar John Clifford Farrar ( ; born 8 November 1946) is an Australian music producer, songwriter, arranger, singer, and guitarist. As a musician, Farrar is a former member of several rock and roll groups including The Mustangs (1963–64), The Stran ...

. The single received extensive airplay making it a double number one recording, the first time an Australian artist had scored consecutive number ones with their first two singles. Many radio stations also began flipping the single over and playing the lush B-side ballad "The Girl That I Love", thereby lengthening the single's shelf life—and revealing to radio listeners another facet of Russell's singing talents. "Morris Mania" was in full swing, with a demanding schedule of live appearances and the continued invaluable support from Uptight and Go-Set. Morris, in the meantime, travelled to the United Kingdom to help promote "The Real Thing" but the song didn't perform well. Morris returned to Australia in December 1969 and performed a concert in Brisbane which was attended by 5,000 people, of which more than 100 were taken off in an ambulance due to 'advanced hysteria'. Morris began recording new tracks with Howard Gable. Morris recorded English songwriter

Raymond Froggatt Raymond William Froggatt (born 13 November 1941) is an English songwriter and singer.Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Country Music'', Virgin Books, , p. 159-160 Biography Froggatt (otherwise known as "Froggy") was born in Bordes ...

's "

Rachel Rachel () was a Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban. Her older sister was Leah, Jacob's first wife. Her a ...

" which peaked at No. 23 in May 1970. The song become a big hit in New Zealand, where it reached No. 1 in July 1970. " Mr America" followed, which was a riff-heavy, gospel-flavoured number with a soaring female choral backing. Coupled with the equally strong self-penned B-side, "Stand Together", the single returned Russell to the charts, hitting the national Top 10 in January 1971. "Mr America" also won Morris the TV Week's Music Awards accolade for "Composer of the Year".

1971–1973: ''Bloodstone'' and ''Wings of an Eagle and Other Great Hits''

Morris concentrated on his own songwriting and with the cream of Australian musicians including

Rick Springfield Richard Lewis Springthorpe (born 23 August 1949), known professionally as Rick Springfield, is an Australian-American musician and actor. He was a member of the pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971, then started his solo career with his debu ...

Beeb Birtles Beeb Birtles (born Gerard Bertelkamp, 28 November 1948) is an Australian musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He has been a member of various Australian groups including Zoot (1967–71), Mississippi (1972–74), Little River Band (1975� ...

and Marcie Jones, spent almost a year painstakingly recording and re-recording what became the ''

Bloodstone Bloodstone may refer to: *Heliotrope (mineral) or bloodstone, a form of chalcedony Film * ''Bloodstone'' (1988 film), an Indian-American action/comedy film *'' Bloodstone: Subspecies II'', a 1993 horror film * Bloodstone: An Epic Dwarven Tale, ano ...

'' album. The album was recorded at Channel 9's TCS Studios and produced by

Howard Gable Howard Gable is a New Zealand-born Australian record producer who is best known for his work as an A&R manager and house producer for EMI's Columbia pop label in Australia in the late 1960s and early 1970. He was also for some years married to N ...

. "

Sweet, Sweet Love "Sweet, Sweet Love" is a song written and recorded by Australian singer Russell Morris and produced by Howard Gable. It was released as the lead single from his debut album ''Bloodstone''. It peaked at number 7 on the Australian Go-Set chart in Ju ...

", backed with the funky, Band-ish album cut "Jail Jonah's Daughter" was released in June and peaked at No. 7 in July 1971, while the album made the national Top 20, peaking at No. 12 soon after its release in September and earning great praise from critics as well. " Live with Friends" and "

Wings of an Eagle "Wings of an Eagle" is a song written and recorded by Australian singer Russell Morris, produced by Peter Dawkins. It was released in November 1972 and peaked at number 9 on the Australian Go-Set chart in January 1973, becoming Morris' sixth top ...

" were also released peaking within the top 20. In March 1973, EMI Records released the first hits compilation called, '' Wings of an Eagle and Other Great Hits'' which peaked at number 12 in Australia.

1973–1977: New York and ''Russell Morris'' and ''Turn it On''

In 1973, Morris moved to London to record an album, only to discover there was no record contract waiting for him. He relocated to New York City and worked on an album there. He released ''Russell Morris'' in 1975 on

Robie Porter Robert George Porter (4 June 1941 – 16 December 2021) was an Australian country and pop-rock musician, producer and record label owner. Beginning in 1959, he performed under the stage name Rob E.G. and recorded lap steel guitar instrum ...

's Wizard label in Australia and on

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westin ...

for US release. "Let's Do It" / "Don't Rock the Boat" peaked at number 30 in Australia. A second American album was released in 1976, called ''

Turn it On ''Turn It On'' is the third studio album released by Boyzone frontman and Irish singer-songwriter Ronan Keating. The album was released on 17 November 2003, a week after the release of the lead single, " Lost for Words". The album became the w ...

''. It was two more years before Morris was granted his green card, enabling him to tour America. But by then, any chance of an American career had remained unfulfilled. Instead, Morris returned to Australia

1978–1996: Australia, Russell Morris bands and ''A Thousand Suns''

Once Morris had returned to Australia, he formed the Russell Morris Band. The band signed with

Mushroom Records Mushroom Records was an Australian flagship record label, founded in 1972 in Melbourne. It published and distributed many successful Australian artists and expanded internationally, until it was merged with Festival Records in 1998. Festival M ...

and commenced live performances, writing songs designed to be played live rather than chasing radio airplay, but scoring a couple of minor hits on the way. Eventually, the band played and recorded as Russell Morris & the Rubes. The Rubes achieved critical acclaim but mainstream radio refused to play their tracks. By 1983 the five Rubes made a decision, if their single "Get It Right", which they rated highly, wasn't picked up by radio, they’d call it quits, which they did. Morris also fronted The Lonely Boys throughout the 1980s and he also branched out onto the musical stage, appearing as 'Riff Raff' in a Melbourne production of

The Rocky Horror Show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to the Science fiction film, science fiction and Horror film, horror B movies of the 1930s through to the early 1960s, the ...

and a few years later taking on the role of

Simon Zealotes Simon the Zealot (, ) or Simon the Canaanite or Simon the Canaanean (, ; grc-gre, Σίμων ὁ Κανανίτης; cop, ⲥⲓⲙⲱⲛ ⲡⲓ-ⲕⲁⲛⲁⲛⲉⲟⲥ; syc, ܫܡܥܘܢ ܩܢܢܝܐ) was one of the most obscure among the apostl ...

in the hit 1992 arena production of

Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with ...

alongside

John Farnham John Peter Farnham AO (born 1 July 1949) is a British born Australian singer. Farnham was a teen pop idol from 1967 until 1979, billed then as Johnny Farnham, but has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer.McFarlane (1999). Enc ...

Kate Ceberano Catherine Yvette Ceberano ( or , born 17 November 1966) is an Australian singer and actress who performs in the soul, jazz, and pop genres, as well as in film and musicals such as ''Jesus Christ Superstar''. Her song "Pash" received a gold sa ...

Angry Anderson Gary Stephen "Angry" Anderson (born 5 August 1947) is an Australian rock singer, songwriter, television personality and actor. He has been the lead vocalist with the hard rock band Rose Tattoo since 1976. As a solo artist, he is best known f ...

and

Jon Stevens Jon Stevens (born 8 October 1961) is a New Zealand singer, best known for his work with Noiseworks and ''Jesus Christ Superstar''. Biography 1980–1986: career beginnings and ''Jezebel'' Stevens was born in Upper Hutt, New Zealand, and is ...

. In November 1991, Morris released another solo album, ''

A Thousand Suns ''A Thousand Suns'' is the fourth studio album by American rock band Linkin Park. It was released on September 13, 2010, by Warner Bros. Records. The album was written by the band and was produced by Linkin Park vocalist Mike Shinoda and Ric ...

'', which peaked at number 98.

1996–2006: Bands with Ronnie Burns, Darryl Cotton and Jim Keays

In 1996, Morris joined fellow 1960s singers Ronnie Burns and

Darryl Cotton Darryl Grant Cotton (4 September 1949 27 July 2012) was an Australian pop, rock singer-songwriter, television presenter and actor. He was a founding member of Australian rock group Zoot in 1965, with Beeb Birtles, and were later joined by Rick ...

and began touring under the name Burns Cotton & Morris. The group released three albums. In 2000,

Jim Keays James Keays (9 September 194613 June 2014) was a Scottish-born Australian musician who fronted the rock band The Masters Apprentices as singer-songwriter, guitarist and harmonica-player from 1965 to 1972 and subsequently had a solo career. He ...

replaced Burns and the group called themselves

Cotton Keays & Morris Cotton Keays & Morris (shortened to CKM by fans) was an Australian rock band formed in 2000 consisting of singer-songwriters Darryl Cotton, Jim Keays and Russell Morris. Each wrote and recorded numerous hit songs since the 1960s. The band toured ...

. They released five albums over the next 5 years. The trio toured until Darryl Cotton's death in 2012. Also in 2000, Morris' "The Real Thing" and "

" featured prominently in the Australian-made movie ''

The Dish ''The Dish'' is a 2000 Australian historical comedy-drama film that tells the story of the Parkes Observatory's role in relaying live television of humanity's first steps on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. It was the top-grossi ...

'', and

Midnight Oil Midnight Oil (known informally as "The Oils") are an Australian rock band composed of Peter Garrett (vocals, harmonica), Rob Hirst (drums), Jim Moginie (guitar, keyboard) and Martin Rotsey (guitar). The group was formed in Sydney in 1972 by H ...

released a cover version of "The Real Thing" as a single and as the title track of their live acoustic album The Real Thing. At the ''

Gimme Ted ''Gimme Ted'', or more fully ''Gimme Ted – The Ted Mulry Benefit Concerts'', is an Australian 2×DVD video and tribute album by Various Artists, which was released on 19 May 2003. It was recorded at two eponymous benefit concerts on 9 and 10 ...

'' benefit concert on 9 March 2001 Morris performed two songs. In 2002 he took a place of honour among his peers as part of the hugely successful Long Way to the Top concert tour. Rouseabout Records released the definitive 2CD Russell Morris anthology, called '' The Real Thing'', covering his entire career.

2007–2011: ''Fundamentalist'', Brian Cadd and ARIA Hall of Fame

In May 2007, Morris recorded ''

Fundamentalist Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that is characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguishin ...

'' an acoustic album of his earlier hits. The album was released on Liberation Blue and as of September 2013, has sold around 8,000 copies. In 2007, Morris teamed up with longtime friend

and released a live album titled ''

Live at the Con ''Live at the Con'' is a collaborative live album by ARIA Award winning artists, Brian Cadd and Russell Morris. The album was released on 3 November 2007, following Cadd's induction in the ARIA Hall of Fame In music, an aria (Italian: ; pl ...

''. The duo performed irregularly for the next three years and released a studio album in 2011 titled ''

Wild Bulls and Horses ''Wild Bulls and Horses'' is a collaborative studio album by ARIA Award winning artists and ARIA Hall of Fame inductees, Brian Cadd and Russell Morris. The album was released on 27 June 2011. The songs were written and intended to go to Nashvil ...

''. On 1 July 2008, Morris was inducted into the

. He was joined on-stage by guest musicians

Steve Kilbey Steven John Kilbey (born 13 September 1954) is an English-Australian singer-songwriter and bass guitarist for the rock band the Church. He is also a music producer, poet, and painter. As of 2020, Kilbey has released 14 solo albums and has coll ...

Tim Powles Timothy Guy Gerard Powles (born 21 December 1959) is a New Zealand music producer and artist. Also known as "timEbandit" Powles, his main instrument and first love was the drums and percussion in general, though over time he's become a dab han ...

Jak Housden Jak Housden (born John Paul Housden 12 June 1969) is an Australian guitarist, singer, and composer. Best known as a long-standing member of or The Whitlams, he is also a founding member of The Badloves, appearing on all their classic 1990s relea ...

, Clayton Doley and Lachlan Doley to perform "The Real Thing". According to Andrew Murfett of

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territo ...

, "''Russell Morris, whose classic "The Real Thing" was performed with a supergroup comprising members of

The Church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

The Whitlams The Whitlams are an Australian indie rock band formed in late 1992. The original line-up was Tim Freedman on keyboards and lead vocals, Andy Lewis (bassist), Andy Lewis on double bass and Stevie Plunder on guitar and lead vocals. Other than main ...

and

Powderfinger Powderfinger were an Australian rock band formed in Brisbane in 1989. From 1992 until their break-up in 2010, the line-up consisted of vocalist Bernard Fanning, guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug, bass guitarist John Collins and drum ...

, was inducted with a tribute from

drummer

Rob Hirst Robert George Hirst (born 3 September 1955) is an Australian musician from Camden, New South Wales. He is a founding member of rock band Midnight Oil on drums, percussion and backing vocals (sometimes lead vocals) from the 1970s until the band t ...

. Morris proved to be a revelation on the night, stirring the crowd with a terrific performance.''" In October 2010, Morris' 1973 album, '' Wings of an Eagle and Other Great Hits'', was listed in the book ''

100 Best Australian Albums 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...

''.

2012–2018: Blues trilogy: ''Sharkmouth'', ''Van Diemen's Land'' and ''Red Dirt – Red Heart''

In October 2012 Morris released the first of his trilogy of Australian story albums. ''

Sharkmouth ''Sharkmouth'' is a studio album by Australian singer–songwriter Russell Morris. It was released on 12 October 2012 by Fanfare, Ambition Records. The album was presented to all the major labels who declined to release it. It peaked at No.&nb ...

'' is a collection of tracks about the Australian of the 1920s and 30s and includes songs about

Phar Lap Phar Lap (4 October 1926 – 5 April 1932) was a champion New Zealand–bred Thoroughbred racehorse who is widely regarded as New Zealand's greatest racehorse ever. Achieving incredible success during his distinguished career, his initial u ...

Les Darcy James Leslie Darcy (28 October 189524 May 1917) was an Australian boxer. He was a middleweight, but held the Australian Heavyweight Championship title at the same time. Les Darcy was the 2003 Inductee for the Australian National Boxing Hall ...

and

The Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagion ...

. The album features appearances by

Mark Lizotte Mark Denis Lizotte (born 31 May 1966) is an American-born Australian singer-songwriter and musician, who has released material under the name Diesel, Johnny Diesel, as leader of band Johnny Diesel & the Injectors, and as a solo performer, as we ...

Troy Cassar-Daley Troy Cassar-Daley (born 18 May 1969) is an Australian country music songwriter and entertainer. Cassar-Daley has released thirteen studio albums, two live albums and five compilation albums over 30 years, including the platinum-selling '' The G ...

and Renee Geyer. The album reached No. 6 on the ARIA charts and was certified platinum. In April 2014, Morris released ''

Van Diemen's Land Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania used by the British during the European exploration of Australia in the 19th century. A British settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land in 1803 before it became a sep ...

'' which focused on larger events rather than individuals, from the prison ships that began Australia as a penal settlement to the union strikes, the First and Second World Wars as well as paddle steamers on the

Murray River The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray) ( Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta: ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is Australia's longest river at extent. Its tributaries include five of the next six longe ...

. ''

'' was nominated for Best Blues and Roots at the 2014 ARIA Awards, certified Gold sales and was the highest-charting album of Russell's 50-year career to date debuting at No.4 on the overall ARIA Charts. In 2015, Morris released ''

Red Dirt – Red Heart ''Red Dirt – Red Heart'' is a studio album by Australian singer–songwriter Russell Morris. It was released on 23 October 2015 by Roustabout Records/ Chugg Records and peaked at number 21 on the ARIA Charts. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2016, ...

'', the third and final album in the trilogy. ''

'' is about the Australian Interior. Stories of two

bushrangers Bushrangers were originally escaped convicts in Australia, convicts in the early years of the History of Australia (1788–1850), British settlement of Australia who used The bush#Australia, the bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities. B ...

, a song about a beautiful town, a song about a loner, a recluse, and an escape artist, a snake and the

Nullarbor Plain The Nullarbor Plain ( ; Latin: feminine of , 'no', and , 'tree') is part of the area of flat, almost treeless, arid or semi-arid country of southern Australia, located on the Great Australian Bight coast with the Great Victoria Desert to i ...

. The album peaked at number 21 on the ARIA Charts. At the

ARIA Music Awards of 2016 The 30th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) are a series of award ceremonies which include the 2016 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA Hall of Fame Awards, ARIA Fine ...

, ''Red Dirt – Red Heart'' won

ARIA Award for Best Blues and Roots Album The ARIA Music Award for Best Blues and Roots Album, is an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards, which recognises "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", since 1987. It is handed out by the Australian Reco ...

2019–present: ''Black and Blue Heart'' and the Morris Springfield Project

In February 2019, Morris confirmed the release of his next studio album ''

Black and Blue Heart ''Black and Blue Heart'' is a studio album by Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island o ...

'' on 5 April 2019. The album, produced by

Bernard Fanning Bernard Fanning (born 15 August 1969) is an Australian musician and singer-songwriter. He was the lead vocalist of Queensland alternative rock band Powderfinger from its formation in 1989. Born and raised in Toowong, Brisbane, Fanning receive ...

and Nick DiDia, has been described as a rock album. In 2021, Morris joined

and formed

The Morris Springfield Project The Morris Springfield Project are an Australian duo consisting of Russell Morris and Rick Springfield. They released ''Jack Chrome and the Darkness Waltz'' in October 2021, which debuted at number 34 on the ARIA Albums Chart. History Russell ...

. The Morris Springfield Project released ''Jack Chrome and the Darkness Waltz'' in October 2021 which debuted at number 34 on the ARIA Charts.

Discography

Studio albums

* ''

'' (1971) * ''

Russell Morris Russell Norman Morris (born 31 July 1948) is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist who had five Australian Top 10 singles during the late 1960s and early 1970s. On 1 July 2008, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) recog ...

'' (1975) * ''

'' (1976) * ''

Foot in the Door Foot-in-the-door (FITD) technique is a compliance tactic that aims at getting a person to agree to a large request by having them agree to a modest request first. This technique works by creating a connection between the person asking for a requ ...

'' as the Russell Morris Band (1979) * ''

Almost Frantic "Almost Frantic" is the fifth studio album by Australian singer songwriter Russell Morris. It was credited to ''Russell Morris and the Rubes''. The album was released in February 1981 and peaked at number 28 on the Kent Music Report. Three sing ...

'' as Russell Morris & the Rubes (1981) * ''

'' (1991) * ''Off the Shelf'' (2002) * ''

'' (2007) * ''

Jumpstart Diary ''Jumpstart Diary'' is a studio album by Australian singer songwriter Russell Morris. The album was released on 1 June 2008, just prior to his induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame. The album is a collaboration between Morris and Australian musi ...

'' (2008) * ''

'' with Brian Cadd (2011) * ''

'' (2012) * ''

'' (2014) * ''

'' (2015) * ''

'' (2019) * ''The Dreams of Jack Chrome'' (2022)

Awards and nominations

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as

AIR Awards The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. History The inaugural 2006 awards were held at ...

) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. The commenced in 2006. ! , - ,

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

, ''Red Dirt – Red Heart'' , Best Independent Blues and Roots Album , , , - ,

2024 Predicted and scheduled events * January 1 ** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1928 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law. ***'' Steamboat Willie'', Walt Disney ...

, ''The Real Thing: Symphonic Concert'' , Best Independent Classical Album or EP , , , -

APRA Awards

The

APRA Awards APRA Awards may refer to one of two awards ceremonies: *APRA Awards (Australia) *APRA Awards (New Zealand) The APRA Music Awards are several annual and two-yearly award ceremonies run in New Zealand by Australasian Performing Right Association ...

are presented annually from 1982 by the

Australasian Performing Right Association APRA AMCOS consists of Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS), both copyright management organisations or copyright collectives which jointly represent over 100,000 songwr ...

(APRA), "honouring composers and songwriters". They commenced in 1982. ! , - ,

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment ...

, "Black Blues Dog" (James Keays & Russell Morris) , Blues & Roots Work of the Year , , , - ,

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...

, "Van Diemens Land" (Shannon Bourne & Russell Morris) , Song of the Year , , , -

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of

Australian music The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions o ...

. They commenced in 1987 , - ,

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ...

, himself ,

, , - ,

, ''Sharkmouth'' , Best Blues and Roots Album , , - ,

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

, ''Van Diemens Land'' , Best Blues and Roots Album , , - , 2016 , ''Red Dirt – Red Heart'' , Best Blues and Roots Album , , -

Australian Songwriter's Hall of Fame

The Australian Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 2004 to honour the lifetime achievements of some of Australia's greatest songwriters. , - , 2005 , himself , Australian Songwriter's Hall of Fame ,

Go-Set Pop Poll

The Go-Set Pop Poll was coordinated by teen-oriented pop music newspaper, ''

Go-Set ''Go-Set'' was the first Australian pop music newspaper, published weekly from 2 February 1966 to 24 August 1974, and was founded in Melbourne by Phillip Frazer, Peter Raphael and Tony Schauble. NOTE: This PDF is 282 pages. Widely described as ...

'' and was established in February 1966 and conducted an annual poll during 1966 to 1972 of its readers to determine the most popular personalities. , - , 1969 , himself , Male Vocal , style="background:gold;", 1st , - , rowspan="2", 1970 , rowspan="2", himself , Male Vocal , style="background:silver;", 2nd , - , Composer , 4th , - , rowspan="3", 1971 , rowspan="2", himself , Male Vocal , style="background:silver;", 2nd , - , Composer / Song Writer , style="background:gold;", 1st , - , "Mr. America" , Best Single , 4th , - , rowspan="3", 1972 , rowspan="2", himself , Male Vocal , style="background:silver;", 2nd , - , Composer / Song Writer , style="background:tan;", 3rd , - , ''Bloodstone'' , Best Album , 4th , -

King and Queen of Pop Awards

The King and Queen of Pop Awards were voted by the readers of

TV Week ''TV Week'' is a weekly Australian magazine that provides television program listings information and highlights, as well as television-related news. Content ranges from previews for upcoming storylines of popular television programs, partic ...

. The King of Pop award started in 1967 and ran through to 1978. , - , rowspan="2", 1971 , ''Bloodstone'' , Best Album , , - , himself for "Mr America" , Composer / Song Writer , , -

Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the

Mo Awards The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards) were an annual Australian entertainment industry award, that where established in 1975, to recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia. They were l ...

), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Russell Morris won one award in that time. (wins only) , - , 2011 , Russell Morris , Hall of Fame , , -

Music Victoria Awards

The

Music Victoria Awards The Music Victoria Awards (previously known as The Age EG Awards and The Age Music Victoria Awards) are an annual awards night celebrating music from the Australian state of Victoria. They commenced in 2006 and are awarded in Melbourne Music W ...

are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2006. , - ,

, ''Sharkmouth'' , Best Blues Albums ,

Tamworth Songwriters Awards

The Tamworth Songwriters Association (TSA) is an annual songwriting contest for original country songs, awarded in January at the

Tamworth Country Music Festival The Tamworth Country Music Festival is an annual Australian music festival held for 10 days from Friday to Sunday in mid to late January each year, sometimes including Australia Day, in Tamworth, New South Wales. The festival is the second bigg ...

. They commenced in 1986. Russell Morris won one award in that time. (wins only) , - , 1992 , "Out of the Blue" by Russell Morris , Contemporary Song of the Year , , -

References

;General * '' Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop'' by

Ian McFarlane Ian McFarlane (born 1959) is an Australian music journalist, music historian and author, whose best known publication is the ''Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop'' (1999), which was updated for a second edition in 2017. As a journalist h ...

(Allen & Unwin, Sydney (1999)) () * ''Australian Encyclopedia of Rock & Pop'' by Noel McGrath (Rigby Publishers (1978)) * ''The Who's Who of Australian Rock'' by- Chris Spencer (Moonlight Publishing (1993)) ;Specific

External links

*
Milesago entry on Russell MorrisInterview with Russell Morris, September 2013
on Ben Sorensen's REAL Country {{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Russell 1948 births Living people APRA Award winners ARIA Award winners ARIA Hall of Fame inductees Australian expatriates in the United States Australian pop singers Australian guitarists Acoustic guitarists Members of the Order of Australia Australian male guitarists Australian male singer-songwriters Australian singer-songwriters The Fabulous Caprettos members Zoot (band) members Cotton Keays & Morris members Burns Cotton & Morris members