|
 John Wibberley
Click here John at Tamworth 2004
- “Mate,
I feel like a local.” These are the words of John Wibberley late
Saturday night at the Stars on the Darling, benefit concert held in
Tilpa. Wibberley along with Lee Kernaghan
and over 2,000 others, joined the residents of Tilpa, NSW (population 9),
to sing and dance along the dry Darling Riverbed to raise money for the
Royal Flying Doctor Service.
- “Mate,
I feel like a local.” These are the words of John Wibberley late
Saturday night at the Stars on the Darling, benefit concert held in
Tilpa. Wibberley along with Lee Kernaghan
and over 2,000 others, joined the residents of Tilpa, NSW (population 9),
to sing and dance along the dry Darling Riverbed to raise money for the
Royal Flying Doctor Service.
-
-
Welcome
to Footprints. We have done some serious miles since the last newsletter
and sadly have travelled through a lot of crippling drought country. We
have followed the drought all year and watched the good earth turn bad;
but as we approached the tiny town of Tilpa (NSW) the reality of how hard
it had hit hammered home like nine inch nails. The people of Tilpa,
population 7, have to be congratulated for their incredible RFDS
fundraising show. Working tirelessly they put the drought out of their
minds and set themselves to create a night to remember and it most
certainly was. The venue for the Flying Doctor concert was the local oval
which looked more like a lunar landscape than a field of dreams. Grassless
and bare, the locals of Tilpa worked like ants in the searing heat to get
it ready for the night. I can never understand where the people come from
but in front of my eyes I watched 3000 hot, dry and dusty people descend
on Tilpa in one endless cloud of dust.
With Lee Kernaghan also
donating himself to the cause the night was a huge success and one which Tilpa
will hold dear for many years to come. Final fundraising count is still to be
confirmed but an early estimate is well over $30,000.
We are on the home
straight of our Royal Flying Doctor Tour with January 26th firmly fixed in our
sights. The final show of the tour will be at the Tamworth Festival
It is a free show
outside the West Leagues Club, Saturday 25th 5.00pm - 7.00pm. If you are in the
area, please come along and join the party it will be a big one. I do hope you
and your family had a happy and safe Christmas. On behalf of myself and all at
Long Sleep Plains and the "Sky's the Limit" Tour we wish you all the
best for 2003--- may it flow wide, fast and free. Thank you for all of your
support and interest over the course of the year. It is deeply appreciated.
Best wishes
John Wibberley
- JOHN
WIBBERLEY has been named South Australian of the Year for services and
contributions to music.
- Dancing
in the Dust
- -Gavin
PR Staff Writers
-
- “Mate,
I feel like a local.” These are the words of John Wibberley late
Saturday night at the Stars on the Darling, benefit concert held in
Tilpa. Wibberley along with Lee Kernaghan
and over 2,000 others, joined the residents of Tilpa, NSW (population 9),
to sing and dance along the dry Darling Riverbed to raise money for the
Royal Flying Doctor Service.
- People
started showing up around noon with blankets and gear getting ready to
have a good time. Michael McInerney, member of the Tilpa Community
Committee Incorporated and concert organizer chatted to as many of the
visitors as possible. “I wish I had a map with those pushpins,” he
said, “then I could mark all the places people came from to see the
concert. People from Sutherland, Bowral, Dubbo, Cobar … people just from
all over, even from South Australia and Queensland came to have a good
night out. “
-
- “Everyone
forgot their troubles for the night. They forgot about the bushfires, they
forgot about the drought, they just came and had a great time.”
- The
majority of the event was organized and produced by volunteers, including
Lee Kernaghan and John Wibberley. “We couldn’t
have done it without sponsors. The NSW Year of the Outback and many
others donated significant funds to make this all happen," said
McInerney. "So many people donated their time and talents. And it
will be reciprocated. Good works like this always find a way back.”
- “But
it doesn’t end there. There is a real sense of community in doing
this”, adds McInerney. ”Opportunities to give always find a way
back”
- “The
Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) is often the only service that offers
medical care to farmers in outback and remote areas. The drought has made
it an especially difficult year, and knowing that we can rely on the RFDS
in cases of emergency helps to keep the spirit of the outback alive.”
- John
Wibberley couldn’t agree more, “The RFDS have always been in my
life,” said Wibberley. When he was a young bloke, Wibberley remembers
his family having the flying doctors over for dinner after they had would
dashed in to help someone in his hometown. “So many families rely on
them. Being as the RFDS is all voluntary, and this concert is voluntary,
there is a nice feel about it.”
- Tilpa
was just one stop along the way for Wibberley, who is doing a self-funded
tour across Australia to raise funds for the RFDS. “We started in
January 2002 and will finish in January 2003, all to raise money for the
RFDS. Tilpa is a really good spot for this type of concert. It has been
such an honour to work with such dedicated people.”
-
- The
exact amount raised for the RFDS is yet to be finalised McInerney said,
but the amount is expected to be significant. “Its all been amazing. We
couldn’t have asked for better weather, better people or a better
turnout.
-
- “The
official books may have said 9 residents. But on Saturday night, Tilpa had
over 2,000 kinfolk join the community spirit and had a great time.”
-
- CONTACTS:
- RFDS
Donations 1800 444 788.
- Concert
producers: Michael and Jill McInerney 02 6837 3966
- Production
Manager: Alan Brown 0419 971 322
- Media
and PR Sherrie Morreall 02 9528 0225 or Bruce Gavin 0403 206 146
- TILPA,
“THE VILLAGE ON THE FLOODPLAIN” IS FULLY PREPARED TO HOST AN EXCITING
COUNTRY MUSIC CONCERT, SLATED TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE ROYAL FLYING DOCTOR
SERVICE ON DECEMBER 7, 2002
- Lee Kernaghan, John Wibberley and other country musicians are
gathering to show their support for Outback community members and tourists
in a charity fund-raising concert.
-
- ** A special thank you to Lee Kernaghan who is taking time away from
his wife and infant son (born November 30, 2002) to participate in this
concert.
-
- Tilpa, NSW Australia, December 4, 2002 --- The community of Tilpa (population 9), has spent the last 2 months preparing for country music
artists and fans from all walks of life. “We are all gathered here to
support the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS),” said Michael McInerney,
member of the Tilpa Community Committee Incorporated (TCCI). “The RFDS is
often the only service that offers medical care to farmers in outback areas.
The drought has made it an especially difficult year, and knowing that we
can rely on the volunteer service of the RFDS in cases of emergency helps to
keep the spirit of the outback alive.”
-
- John Wibberley, one of the country music stars performing at the
concert couldn’t agree more. “The RFDS have always been in my life,”
said Wibberley. “So many families rely on them. Being as the RFDS is all
voluntary, and this concert is voluntary, there is a nice feel about it.”
-
- Tilpa will be a stop along the way for Wibberley, who has been doing
a self-funded tour across Australia for the RFDS. “We started in January
2002 and will finish in January 2003, all to raise money for the RFDS. Tilpa
is a really good spot for this type of concert, so hopefully this will be a
big success for the RFDS.”
-
- Tickets may be purchased at the DECEMBER 7TH
concert in Tilpa ($40 per person or $100 per family –2 adults and 2
children).
-
- Campsite bookings and information can be arranged through
Carol Williams 02 6837 3631 or Herb Hemley 02 6837 3532.
-
- Donations.
Although we prefer to see you at the concert, donations to the RFDS can be
made by ringing 1800 444 788.
-
- For media contacts and information for ‘Stars
on the Darling’, contact Michael and Jill McInerney (02 6837 3966),
Gavin PR (02 9528 0225) or email smorreall@tpg.com.au.
News
From the Ocean to the Heartless Land
G'day everyone,
WE HAVE
CRACKED THE $100,000 DOLLAR MARK! The Queensland leg of the tour is now
complete. Myself and brave, crazy team have travelled, performed and raised
funds for the RFDS.. out, up, across, through, and down this enormous state. All
in all we did 33 shows, some big ones, some small ones, some memorable ones and
some absolute flops. We have experienced it all or so it feels over the last 10
weeks, good times and bad, laughter and tears, triumphs and periods of complete
and utter despair but through it all the great white snail has been quietly,
slowly moving us a little further down the road.
As surreal as
our lives have become we are constantly framed by delirious sunsets, driving
rain, crippling drought and an overwhelming sensation that what we are doing out
here is really something quite special.
We have now
raised $100,000 dollars for the Flying Doctor, which is a credit to all who have
helped make this tour become a reality. We are still completely self funded and
while we do it tough, happy in the fact that we are doing it by ourselves.
We
have lost a couple of the team due to fatigue and sickness so for the last
few shows in QLD it has been Jenny & I burning up the highways and
byways. We are approaching the halfway mark of the National tour and only
yesterday finished the long drive from Brisbane via Sydney via Canberra
back here to Parachilna where once again we are digging in at the remote
Bush Hilton in the Flinders ranges, and of course doing a couple of RFDS
fundraisers at the mighty Beltana Bush Races and the Prairie Hotel. From
here it's onwards onto the biggest, most daunting leg of the tour, the
Northern Territory and Western Australia. With over 11,000kms ahead of us
in the next 10 weeks, I could afford to feel a bit uneasy but no bugger
that…this warm afternoon I'm going to sit back, drink my beer and watch
this coal train groan on by.
Wibberley
Meter
Days
on the Road Funds Raised for
RFDS Kms Travelled
210
Days
$100,000
25,000 km
- The new single "Watching Her" is doing
brilliantly at radio, heartfelt thanks to all of you who are behind the
tour, behind us and the new album "From the
Ocean" out now on MGM.
Big thankyou's to Yalumba, Doctor Don, Mike Smith, RFDS
QLD, All Qld media, Spirit of QLD entrants, And all of the following Queensland
Towns that participated in the Sky's the Limit Tour: Brisbane, Roma, St George,
Mitchell, Quilpie, Charleville, Cunnamulla, Augathella, Blackall, Barcaldine,
Longreach, Cloncurry, Mt Isa, Normanton, Karumba, Georgetown, Mt Surprise,
Mareeba, Cairns, Tully, Townsville, Charters Towers, Bowen, Bundaberg,
Maryborough, Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Gympie, Kingaroy, Mackay, Hervey Bay.
For interviews, photographs or further information on John
Wibberley’s music and the 2002 National Fundraising Tour for the Royal
Flying Doctor Service, contact:
- Jenny
Neville
- Project
Manager/Publicity
- 0418 733
526
- www.johnwibberley.com
- THE
SKY’S THE LIMIT TOUR 2002
- National
Fundraising for the Royal Flying Doctor Service
News
From the Ocean to the Heartless Land
John's
Diary
Sometimes
I feel it's a bit like that movie Ground Hog Day. Day in day out, I wake up,
drive 400km's, unload the truck, set up the PA, do the show, tear down the PA,
pack up the truck, go to sleep, wake up and do it all over again. Sometimes you
get so tired that you can't even think straight. But at the same time I wouldn't
change it for the world. It's great to be out here working our backsides off and
watching the RFDS money metre keep on going up. Every day we meet new people and
share their stories and experiences about the "Doctor in the Sky".
The
country side is endless, challenging and constantly changing. We have been
officially recognized as the single largest event on the Year of the Outback
calendar and the word is spreading about our truck "The Great White
Snail" pulling into town for a unique fundraising concert. Please go to the
diary section on the website for "Tales of the Tour" where I reveal
what's really going on out here and gives me the opportunity to introduce all of
the lovers, drifters and dreamers that pass my way. Our adventure has only just
begun.
The Sky's the Limit
- Whilst
we will endeavour to follow this itinerary as closely as possible, it
may be subject to small changes due to the duration and distance of the
tour.
-
- This
RFDS fundraising tour of Australia is being totally funded by John
- Wibberley
and Band. Any or all support is greatfully appreciated. Please
-
- w
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