Red Desert Sky John Lomax III Availability: Available Subtitle:  The amazing adventures of the Chambers family Description: The story of the remarkable Chambers family; their life on the Nullarbor, their incredible success as country music group, Dead Ringer Band, and the rise of Kasey Chambers as a world-renowned solo artist. Red Desert Sky is a tale of family survival, first against natural forces, later in the cut-throat world of show business. The Chambers family-Bill, Diane, Nash and Kasey-have lived their own, uniquely Australian version of the Swiss Family Robinson. Here they share their extraordinary experiences as they transformed themselves from nomads to one of Australia's most treasured musical exports. In 1976, hoping to earn a living hunting foxes, Bill and Diane Chambers took their two-year-old son Nash and newborn daughter Kasey into the Nullarbor. Here the four Chambers lived for much of the next ten years, amid snakes, dingos and feral cats, camping in a different spot on the parched Plain after each night's hunting. Gathering their supplies from the Indian Pacific Tea and Sugar Train, the family endured seven to eight months annually on the Nullarbor, relocating to a small fishing village during the hottest months. After returning to 'civilisation' permanently in 1986, Bill and Diane re-launched their musical careers, performing as a duo in pubs, with Kasey, then Nash joining to form a group soon dubbed Dead Ringer Band. By 1992, they had become musicians full-time, pulling a small trailer behind their four-wheel drive and playing nationally, to big city music lovers as well as rural and outback audiences. During the 1990s, Dead Ringer Band members released seven CDs and collectively earned two ARIAs, five MO Awards and seven Gold Guitars at Tamworth. In May 1999, lead singer Kasey Chambers stepped out as a solo artist, issuing The Captain, now certified for double-platinum sales. In 2001, Kasey's second solo album, Barricades & Brickwalls, was released. Red Desert Sky is a remarkable story about four courageous Australians whose 'give it a go' philosophy has brought them worldwide acclaim. Table of Contents: Prologue Introduction 1 Origins 2 Early days in Southend 3 Life on the Nullarbor 4 Southend again: a song for Slim 5 A matter of time 6 Red Desert Sky 7 Giant steps 8 A year of redemption 9 Notice from abroad 10 Things don't come easy 11 Hopeville 12 Retreats, resolutions and renewals 13 A return to Nashville 14 Strategies 15 All hail The Captain 16 Around the world ... twice 17 The Captain in America 18 Racing forward, looking back Epilogue Appendixes A: Initial correspondence B: A brief history of country music in Australia by Keith Glass C: Chambers discography D: US country singles chart performance E: Awards Illustration sources About the Author: John Lomax III was raised in Texas and is the grandson of pioneering folklorist John Avery Lomax. He had been a nationally published US music journalist since 1967; his work has also been published in Europe, Asia and Australia. He is the author of Nashville: Music City USA (1986) and co-author of The Country Music Book (1988). He presently writes regular columns for Country Music International in London and Country Music Update in Gympie. John is also an artist manager and has represented Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle and The Cactus Brothers. He began representing Dead Ringer Band in 1996. Read an extract ISBN: 1865084255 Australian Price (Incl GST): $24.95 Format: Paperback - C Dimensions: 230X152 Number of Pages: 312 Illustrations: 20 b/w photos Australian Publication: October 2001 Publisher: Allen & Unwin  Australia  Imprint: Allen & Unwin  Subject Category: Music Children's Readership: Upper teen non-fiction