Troy Cassar-Daley: Don’t know who he is?

He's country music's shining star. He has won multiple awards, and played with Australia's top musicians - but where did it all start for the Indigenous man who has won critical acclaim for his latest political album.

A young Troy Casser-Daley at 22 years of age. Source: Supplied

The child of a Maltese father and Aboriginal mother, Troy was born in the inner city Sydney suburb of Surry Hills on May 18, 1969.

He spent his early years there, becoming a fan of the South-Sydney Rabbitohs in the process. before relocating with his mother to Grafton in northern New South Wales.

Troy credits his love affair with music to both his mum and his dad.

At the age of 11, he made his very first trip to Tamworth, the home of Country Music.

2005: Troy Casser-Daley with Naomi Wenitong, Casey Donovan, Simone Stacey and Ernie Dingo at the Deadly Awards. Source: Getty Images

This trip would further fuel Troy’s passion for music, and the very next year he returned as a performer, busking on what’s dubbed 'The Boulevard of Dreams' - Tamworth's Peel Street.

By 16 he had formed his own band, Little Eagle.

Troy moved to the home of the Golden Guitar in 1990, and shortly after this is named as a finalist in The Tamworth Star Maker competition.

At 21, Troy catches the eye of legendary country singer, Brian Young, who invites him to take part in a 9-month tour around Australia that takes in some of the most remote towns and communities across the nation.

Upon his return Troy takes over the reins as lead singer of The Blue Heeler Band, formerly headed by artist, James Blundell.

It was in 1994 that he made his major breakthrough with his debut solo single, ‘Dream out Loud’ climbing to number one on the Australian music charts.

The following album, ‘Beyond The Dancing’ would net Troy his very first Golden Guitar and Aria.

A further three Golden Guitars would follow in 199 with ‘True Believer’, and within just a few years Cassar-Daley would cement himself as a household name.

As Troy’s success grew, he performed both on stage and in the studio, with industry stalwarts such as Slim Dusty, Leigh Kernighan, Jimmy Barnes, Gina Jeffrey’s and Kasey Chambers.

Troy joined Channel 7’s popular singing show, ‘It takes two’ in 2006.

In 2010, the Cassar-Daley family, consisting of Troy, his wife, Laurel Edwards, and two kids, Clem and Jem, leave Australia for the 'Country Music Capital of the World', Nashville Tennessee.

After returning to Australia he joined with country star Adam Harvey, and together they performed covers of well-known classics, in the 2014 album, 'The Great Country Songbook.'

They started their tour with a massive show at Sydney’s iconic Opera House.

Honouring the efforts of Indigenous Civil Rights activist, Charles Perkins, Cassar-Daley, with the help of Australian music royalty, singer, Paul Kelly, wrote the album ‘Freedom Ride’ in 2015.

Despite songs of a political nature seldom appearing in Country Music, ‘Freedom Ride’ scored Cassar-Daley a whopping six Golden Guitars at the 2016 Country Music Awards.

2016: Troy Cassar-Daley receives the Golden Guitar for 'Male Artist of the Year' at the 44th annual Golden Guitar Awards at Tamworth. Source: Getty Images

Achievements

To date Troy has won 32 Golden Guitars, 4 Arias, 2 APRA Country Song of the Year awards, 9 Deadly Awards, 4 CMAA awards, 1990 Tamworth Star Maker Award, and sold over 450,000 albums - including gold and platinum records.