(Photo: Queensland State Library)
(Photo: Ben Carr)
July 12, 2016
Country music fans are mourning the passing of well-known Cherbourg musician Angus Rabbitt who died on Monday.
Angus was born and raised in Cherbourg but spent most of his adult life in Brisbane or touring with bands.
A famous photo shows him playing on the stage in Cherbourg’s Welfare Hall as a child.
His father was also a musician at Cherbourg, which is how young Angus was introduced to performing.
Cherbourg residents have always been proud that Angus and some of his young mates competed in a talent quest on TV station DDQ Channel 10, and won.
The youngsters won a Kodak Box Brownie camera and an ice cream cake. The cake is long gone but the camera is now proudly on display in The Ration Shed Museum.
Oh, and by the way, to win that camera they beat another group of Queensland kids, the Gibb Brothers, who later found fame as the Bee Gees.
In later years, Angus – with Dennis “Mop” Conlon – was part of the popular Brisbane-based band “Mop and the Dropouts”.
This band had a number of local hits including “Brisbane Blacks”, which became an Aboriginal anthem in south-east Queensland, “Mother’s Eyes” and “Racial Discrimination” (all sung by Dennis) and “Mr Moonlight”, “I Just Called To Say I Love You” and “Corroboree Boys” (sung by Angus)
Angus later set up his own band, “Angus Rabbitt and the T.A.B. Band” (the “Travelling Aboriginal Band”), but would still get together with Dennis to perform as Mop and the Dropouts.
The bands have been popular for years at Golden Oldies and private functions throughout Queensland
Some of Angus’ other songs include “Dancing Aborigine” (in tribute to Cherbourg teenager Daniel Yock who died in police custody), “Come On All You Murris”, and “Memories Of Old Champ” (dedicated to the late Jack Malone).
- External link: Brisbane Blacks – The Story Of Mop and the Dropouts
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Interview with Angus Rabbitt recorded in 2013 as part of the “Deadly Brothers” exhibition at the State Library of Queensland
