Saw Joy and Slim with daughter Anne Kirkpatrick, at the Adelaide Festival Centre in the early 1970's, it was a great evening, Slim was the ultimate showman, very ably assisted by Joy and Ann.

From Wikipedia.

Early life and career

Joy McKean was born in Singleton in the Hunter Region, New South Wales on 14 January 1930.^[5] As an infant, McKean lived on the dairy farm belonging to her mother's family. Her father was a country school teacher and the family moved around to several regional centres during her youth. Her mother and their father, who was a steel guitar player, encouraged an interest in different types of music, including country performers Jimmie Rogers and the Carter Family. Joy learned the accordion, piano and steel guitar, while younger sister Heather McKean learned the ukulele and both took up yodeling. McKean also contracted polio as a child and was treated in Sydney by the famous Sister Kenny.^[6]

McKean first performed on the radio for the first time around the age of 10 on Sydney's 2GB radio station. Later McKean and her sister, Heather McKean (born 20 February 1932), sang for the Sydney University Revue, while a student at the university. By the age of 18, in the 1940s, she was performing live with her sister Heather on their own half-hour Saturday radio show on 2KY as the McKean Sisters, noted for their yodelling harmonies.^[3][7]The Melody Trail starring the two sisters ran from 1949 until 1956. The McKeans began recording, and from 1951 with Rodeo Label they cut such trademark hits as "Gymkhana Yodel" and "Yodel Down The Valley". During this time, Joy McKean first met Slim Dusty, introduced by radio DJ Tim McNamara in Sydney.^[8][6]

 

Marriage and musical partnership with Slim Dusty

Joy McKean married Slim Dusty (real name David Kirkpatrick) in 1951 (becoming Mrs Kirkpatrick, but retaining Joy McKean as her stage name). Sister Heather met Reg Lindsay, whom she married in 1954 and the sisters began solo careers and partnerships with two of Australia's leading male country music singers.^[6] McKean was Dusty's wife and manager for over 50 years, creating a hugely successful body of work.^[9] Dusty and McKean had two children: Anne Kirkpatrick and David Kirkpatrick who are also accomplished singer-songwriters.^[10] The family began annual round Australia tours in 1964 encompassing a 30,000-mile, 10-month journey which was the subject of a feature film, The Slim Dusty Movie in 1984.

 

 

Yes, Slim and Joy were a good act

I seem to think that if Joy had not been married to Slim, she would have been an icon, in her own right

I first saw them at the Kalgoorlie Town Hall, in 1966 or thereabouts