Clelia Adams - The Mullum Sessions

Clelia Adams, Mullum Fest 2025 rehearsals. Photo: Mike Gee

A highlight of 2024 was editing the book, One Of A Kind - The Adventures of Cleo From Go-Set Magazine, by Clelia Adams, one of Australia's most celebrated country music stars. She is a genuine legend.

What she hasn't done in country music over 50 years probably doesn't exist. Her book takes you on - to paraphrase the Grateful Dead - her long, strange trip down the highway of life.

To quote my own back cover notes: “One of a Kind is full of the delicious aromas – and recipes – of true Italian cooking, of the rattle and hum of friends, relatives and fellow musicians who supported Clelia Adams over 60 years. It is a road story, a love story, and recognition of all who drove Australia’s long, dusty country highways and those that still do. It is a paean to country music. It’s not just a story of success, ultimately at the highest level, but of compassion, self-belief and sheer hard work. It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock’n’roll – or be a country star – and Clelia Adams takes you all the way. She is truly One of a Kind.”

And I'm not exaggerating. If you love a great music biography, in fact biographies per se, then you have to read One Of A Kind. From arriving in Australia as a child when her parents migrated to the lucky country, to eventually running away from home, working at legendary music paper, Go-Set (think bands, shenanigans, more bands, more shenanigans), in the late 1960s/early 70s, to Led Zeppelin and Yes, John Prine, Sandy Denny, before moving to Tamworth where she sang back up vocals on the majority of releases recorded in Australia's country capital from the mid-70s to 2000 you would think she had done it all.

Not so. She became a songwriter in her 50s and found huge success in Europe and at home, and, of course, won nearly every Australian country music award imaginable (seethe list at the end of this story) including the 2024 Dusty Boot award. It is an incredible story, told with a rare passion and honesty.

You can buy a copy from her website: https://www.cleliaadams.com

And, yes, there really are genuine Italian food recipes in the back! Mullum Fest 2025 with Clelia Recently, my wife and I had the pleasure of staying with Clelia and her partner Rowly at their home in Mullumbimby as she prepared for and performed at Mullum Fest 2025 on a two-day bill that included other legendary Australian artists such as Robert Forster (Go-Betweens), David Bridie (My Friend The Chocolate Cake, Not Drowning, Waving), The Waifs, Jeff Lang, Tamam Shud, and Rod McCormack. A highlight was hanging out at rehearsals for the gig. Clelia had lined up a superstar band for the show featuring: Stu Eadie (Died Pretty, Karma County, The Whitlams and Clouds) now one of the country's foremost Ukelele players; his partner, Amber Weedon, on backing vocals; Australian record producer (three times winner of the Country Music Awards of Australia Producer of the Year), multi-instrumentalist, songwriter (he has written more than 30 number-one country hits), Rod McCormack, on guitar and vocals; one of Australia's most revered bass players, James Gillard (Western Flyer, Richard Clapton Band, Mondo Rock, Broderick Smith’s Big Combo, The Fargone Beauties, The Flood, and Mental As Anything); Jackson Church (the multi-instrumentalist is also a member of the Church family band, The Haystack Mountain Hermits) on accordion, and, of course, Clelia on vocals. James was filling in at rehearsals for Rod Coe who was still en route to Mullumbimby - he made it in time for the performance.

The vibe was loose, happy and the band swung like a road train barreling down an outback highway. The version of Neil Young's Harvest Moon was breathtaking. Here are some of exclusive shots from the sessions. Click on the arrow top right of each photo for the big picture. All photos © Mike Gee, 2025

The full gallery of 130 photos can be viewed at https://mike-gee.smugmug.com/Performances/Clelia-Adams-The-Mullum-Sessions

AWARDS LIST

Clelia has won or been awarded:

1985: Female Vocalist of the Year and Duo of the Year for Angel Band at the inaugural Australasian Country Gospel Awards in Tamworth.

2006: TIARA (Tamworth Independent Artists Recognition Award) winner of the Gentleman Geoff Brown Memorial Award for Heartbeat Highway.

2008: Inducted into the Australian Country Music LBS Wall of Honour in Tamworth for making an important contribution to the Professional Recording Industry.

2008: Wildflowers takes out Contemporary Country Song category and Country Song of the Year at the Northern Territory Country Songwriting Awards.

2008: Female Vocalist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year for Wildflowers at NSW Gold Medallion Awards in Tamworth.

2010: Inducted into the Hands of Fame in Tamworth in January.

2010: Wildflowers takes out Production of the Year at the 2010 European Country Music Awards.

2012: Inducted into Tasmania’s Axemen’s Wall of Fame in La Trobe, April 2012 alongside Jean Stafford, Phil Emmanuel and Wayne Horsbugh.

2020: Awarded Female Vocalist of the Year for 2019 at the NSW Gold Medallion Awards in Tamworth.

2024: The Dusty Boot Awards, the award for Services to the Australian Country Music Industry.