Songwriter and composer Kev Carmody, of Aboriginal and Irish descent, grew up on a cattle station near Goranba, Queensland. He notes on his official website that he 'was born in Cairns in 1946 to an Irish-Australian father and Aboriginal mother. His maternal heritage is the Bundjalung country in New South Wales which is the Ballina/Byron Bay/Cabbage Tree Island. His indigenous grandfather was a Lama Lama man from Cape York.'
At the age of ten he was removed from his parents and sent to a Christian school. He later returned to rural Queensland where he worked as a labourer for 17 years.
At the age of 33 Carmody began studying at university, later progressing to work on a PhD on the history of the Darling Downs between 1830 and 1860. His music career began during this phase of his life and he subsequently became a travelling singer/songwriter touring Australia and the world. Carmody's songs have been covered by various artists including Paul Kelly and his album Cannot Buy My Soul was shortlisted in the 2007 Deadly Awards, Album Release of the Year. (Source: Carmody's website)
