WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned the following report contains images and voices of deceased people
September 19, 2022
Cherbourg singer Dennis “Mop” Conlon, who died in Rockhampton on Sunday night, will always be remembered as the man who penned an anthem for Indigenous Queenslanders.
The song “Brisbane Blacks”, recorded by Mop And The Dropouts in 1982, defined an era in the State.
In a 2015 interview, Dennis said he wrote “Brisbane Blacks” for community awareness more than as a political statement.
“To let white people know what we have to struggle through,” he said.
The song was popular in Indigenous communities across the State and was on regular rotation on local radio stations.
However, “Brisbane Blacks” wasn’t the only Murri hit for Mop And The Dropouts.
Songs such as “Mother’s Eyes” and “Racial Discrimination” also received plenty of airplay.
Dennis Conlon was born in April 3, 1956, and raised in Cherbourg.
He played alongside many artists during his long musical career but it was his partnership with the late Angus Rabbitt in Mop And The Dropouts that brought him the most recognition.
Dennis was proud of his hometown and returned on many occasions to play at events such as Golden Oldies, Gospel concerts and, memorably, for Yhurri Gurri in 2016 where he was joined on stage by multiple singers in a tribute to his late friend Angus.
One of Dennis’ last performances in Cherbourg was at a gospel concert held in December last year at the Sports Complex.
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Interview with Uncle Lance O’Chin and Uncle “Mop” Conlon, courtesy of Cherbourg Radio
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FLASHBACK: Uncle “Mop” Conlon joined other musicians on stage at Yhurri Gurri in Cherbourg in 2016:
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- External link: Brisbane Blacks – The Story Of Mop and the Dropouts
- Related article: Angus Rabbitt: The End Of An Era
