Revered Indigenous Australian musician Archie Roach has experienced a lot in his near-64 years on this Earth, from being stolen from his family as an infant to teenage issues with alcohol and, eventually, a career as one of Australia's most distinguishable voices in music.
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Roach's storied life and experiences have formed the basis for his new memoir, Tell Me Why, which was released on November 1 alongside an accompanying companion album of the same name.
In promotion of Tell Me Why, Roach visited Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre [BMEC] last week to discuss the release with Wiradyuri artist and storyteller Birrunga [Robert Henderson], who painted a portrait of Roach for entry into the 2014 Archibald Prize.
Tell Me Why sees Roach go into detail about being forcibly removed from his family at the age of two; one of many Indigenous Australians caught up in the trauma of the Stolen Generations era between 1910 and 1970.
"I grew up thinking it was normal to be in a dormitory in order to be billeted away to foster families," Roach recalls.
"This all changed when I was 14 and received a letter from my biological sister informing me that my mother had passed away.
"Tell Me Why is named after a song I wrote about my parents, and it also questions why outside parties needed to determine where I lived and who my parents should be."
Roach's experience as a member of the Stolen Generations formed the basis of 'Took the Children Away,' the first single off his 1990 debut album, Charcoal Lane.
'Took the Children Away' won an international Human Rights Achievement Award in 1991, the first time such an award was received by a songwriter.
The memoir also delves into Roach's relationship with wife and longtime musical partner, Ruby Hunter, who passed away suddenly in 2010.
"Ruby and I met as 16-year-olds and we successfully managed to beat alcohol addiction together," Roach said.
"She led the way in our recovery, and a significant portion of the memoir is dedicated to her."
Throughout his career, Roach has performed support slots for a number of iconic musicians, including Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Tracy Chapman and Paul Simon.
"Paul Simon once spent the afternoon at our place, and we showed him around the community," he said.
"There's too many career highlights to mention, but that first album [Charcoal Lane] was a special experience."
Birrunga first became acquainted with Roach though the composition of his Archibald Prize portrait, and said few compare to the musician from a First Nations advocacy standpoint.
"While Archie feels a lot of the common human emotions we all do, he expresses them in a unique and balanced way," he said.
"It's all there in Tell Me Why; Archie takes you everywhere throughout his life and even with the more painful memories of his past, he tells it in an honest and collected way."
Birrunga was invited personally by Roach's management to moderate his appearance at Bathurst, and said it was an immense honour to be involved.
"I teared up when I got the call that Archie wanted me to share the stage with him, as he's such an inspiration to me," he said.
Birrunga runs his own studio [Birrunga Gallery and Dining] in Brisbane, and regularly spends time with imprisoned Indigenous Australians on matters of cultural priority.
Roach hopes Tell Me Why will inspire people to push on in life despite any adversity along the way.
"You can have a bad start in life, but there's nothing stopping you from finishing up on top," he said.
The event also served as a fundraiser for the 2020 Bathurst Readers and Writers Festival.