Ted Egan, a true legend in the world of folk music, died at the age of 93 on December 4, per pennlive. The cause of his death is not known at this time. The family of the Australian legend released a statement according to themusicnetwork.com. "It is with sadness, but also great pride that Nerys Evans (Egan'swife) and the Egan family marks the passing of our beloved partner, Dad, grandfather, great grandfather and best mate Ted Egan. Ted passed peacefully at home this morning as was his wish. We shared Ted with Territorians, Australians and the wider world. He lived a big and very generous life, spanning 93 years."
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Egan Led a Bustling and Impactful Existence
This was a true Renaissance man. Per the outlet, Egan dropped 30 folk LPs over the span of many decades beginning in 1969. He crafted a TV series about Australia, was administrator of the Northern Territory, co-hosted The Great Outdoors, and wrote 17 books. Those are only some of Egan's stellar accomplishments. According to themusicnetwork.com, "He was also known as a vocal supporter of Aboriginal land rights during the '60s and '70s, immortalised in his song 'Gurindji Blues'...."
Egan's famed tracks included tunes like these. Among them are "A Song for Grace," "Drinkers of the Territory," "Arnhem Land Lullaby," and "The Man from Humpty-Doo."
His stint as NT administrator was particularly meaningful to him. Egan said per the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, "It was a great honour to be chosen and a great thrill to look back on those wonderful four years," from 2003 to 2007.
Egan Used Empty Beer Cartons as Musical Instruments
He found a clever way to use the humble empty beer carton to make music. It was an innovation among instruments! Per the outlet, he shared, "There was always a beer carton around when I was young. So we used to drink the beer and I'd use the beer carton as sort of a percussion drum, and if you mic it cleverly it's a very, very good instrument."
As far as his songwriting skill went, Egan commented thus. "I can't take good pictures or paint portraits or create statues, but I have written a lot of songs that I'm very proud I wrote."
