September 17, 2014
Veteran Murgon bush balladeer Viv Kehl has died after collapsing on stage during a performance on Sunday.
Viv, 81, and his wife Shirley had travelled to Rosewood to take part in the Country Revival Show at the Royal George Hotel.
The couple, who performed together as the Wiley Kehl Family, were the founders of the Country Music Spectacular which has been held annually for the past nine years at the Wondai RSL Club to raise funds for the Queensland Cancer Council.
They had also appeared at a number of other local events over the years, including the Nanango Country Music Muster and at Boondooma.
Viv, who was born at Gympie, took up playing the guitar late in life – in his 50s.
He recorded a number of albums in his own right, and his tracks have also featured on albums released by the Australian Bush Balladeers Association.
Buddy Thomson, organiser of the annual Boondooma Muster, said Viv was a balladeer in the “traditional” style who had performed at Boondooma several times over the years.
A graveside service will be held at 11:00am on Friday at Wondai Cemetery.
My father’s guitar has gone missing from Barcaldine. He left it to me on his passing. Please, I want this guitar returned back to me asap – Tracey Lee Kehl