Many years before she found fame on The Block with her husband Jesse, Kirsty Lee Akers had already established herself as a rising country music star after winning her first award at just three years of age.
“By the time I was 18 I had already done hundreds of gigs,” Kirsty tells Woman’s Day. “I could not imagine life without music. I have such big dreams!
Kirsty, 36, her mum, Janine Akers, 53, and her Aunty Daurelle “Delle” Fogg, 51, were recently inducted into the Australian Country Music Stars of Fame in recognition of their incredible contribution.
“We were all very honoured. There are a lot of big names who have received that award,” explains Janine, who says previous recipients include legends like Slim Dusty, Chad Morgan, Reg Lindsay and Jimmy Little.
PATH TO STARDOM
Their family is steeped in country music, with Janine and Delle having spent almost 40 years performing, after their yodelling dad Alan and gospel singing mum Ellen took them on the road from an early age.
“Hearing mum and dad playing country music all the time was the inspiration to want to sing,” says Delle, adding that she and Janine have great memories of tripping around in a battered old square box van to different festivals as children.
“We were poor with nine mouths to feed, but we had a great childhood with lots of love, and we’re all still very close,” adds Janine. “And we never ever had to hire a band for a family gathering because we’d just all pull out the guitars and have a singalong!”
The two sisters, who performed as a duo called Double Trouble, continued the family musical tradition with their own kids, and in the process have helped Kirsty on the path to stardom.
“I taught her everything she knows,” laughs Janine, who couldn’t be prouder of the daughter she had when she was just 17.
Kirsty says she owes a debt of gratitude to her mum and also her Aunty Delle, who taught her how to play guitar, how to sing and all sorts of songs.
They both agree she was always destined for success, having won that first talent quest – and a wooden guitar – at age three with a rendition of You Are My Sunshine at a festival at Barrington Tops, NSW.
“It was only when I started school that I realised not everybody has a family like ours, who broke out into song at every family gathering. I didn’t know any different,” smiles Kirsty.
The singer, who is also very proud of her First Nations heritage as a woman of the Wonnarua Nation, is the only artist in history to have won the Toyota Star Maker award, the Telstra Road to Discovery award and two prestigious Golden Guitar awards.
But this latest award that she shared with her mum and aunty is particularly special.
“I’m always the one in the spotlight and a lot of people don’t even realise that I come from such a musical family, which is why I like to get them up to sing at my concerts to show everyone that’s where I started out,” Kirsty says.
Since she rocketed to fame on television when she and husband Jesse Anderson won millions of fans and $300,000 on The Block in 2021, her career has gone from strength to strength, with Kirsty to release her seventh album next year.
Last year Kirsty and Jesse even joined forces musically, forming a trio called Rhinestoned with guitarist Dan Ebbels, which found instant success with hit singles Livin’ The Low Life and Margarita Weather.
DREAM HOME
Jesse is also busy on the tools again, finishing up renovating their forever home, overlooking Lake Macquarie.
“If we make it through this renovation, we can make it through anything – we made it through The Block,” laughs Kirsty.
The home has been almost completely rebuilt to include a music studio and a separate apartment they eventually want to rent out on Airbnb to help pay the mortgage. “It’s amazing to see things finally fall in place,” Kirsty says.
The trio have just recorded a tribute cover of Rhinestone Cowboy to mark the 50-year anniversary of the Glen Campbell classic, while Kirsty has also released her new single, Girls Are Why The West Is Wild.
“We’re so proud of Kirsty,” says Janine. “I tell everyone. I think they get sick and tired of hearing it!”
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