Australian icon Frank Ifield has died aged 86, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Ifield, who died on Saturday night, was best known as a country music singer and guitarist, often incorporating yodelling into his music.
He achieved his greatest success in the UK where he had four number one hits throughout his career.
READ MORE: Actor dies after suffering aortic dissection, family says
His song I Remember You was most well known thanks to a performance in the movie The Fleet’s In and is rumoured to have been written about writer Johnny Mercer’s affair with Judy Garland at the time.
For a daily dose of 9Honey, subscribe to our newsletter here
He travelled around the world touring, even allowing The Beatles to open for him before they rose to astronomical fame.
“There is so much to be said about this remarkable man, who had four number ones in Britain, three of them before the Beatles (who he had briefly support him in concert),” journalist Glenn A. Baker wrote in a tribute post on Facebook.
Ifield was born in England however he travelled to Australia in 1953 to record, later returning home and dubbing himself an Australian.
READ MORE: Adorable advice Taylor Swift gave Travis Kelce before his performance
He performed in Eurovision twice, making it as far as second place in his heat in 1962.
His other accolades include a performance at the coveted Grand Ol’ Opry in Nashville, a performance for which he was introduced by Hank Snow, a man he referred to as is hero.
Thanks to his fame as a singer, Ifield went on to be presented with a number of opportunities outside the realm of music.
In 1965, he starred in his very own feature film titled Up Jumped A Swagman.
EAD MORE: Star breaks down in tears during Girls Aloud tribute
However after contracting pneumonia back in what he now referred to as home, Australia, Ifield underwent a surgery that derailed his career.
The surgery affected his ability to sing, but Ifield didn’t let that stop him from remaining active on the Australian music scene, supporting several artists in the country genre.
He ultimately stopped recording his own music, however over the last 10 years he appeared on stage multiple times supporting other artists such as Nicki Gillis and Wayne Horsburgh.
Ifield is survived by his wife, Carole, whom he married in 1992. “Yes, I have married again and Carole is proof that love is better the second time around,” the singer noted on his official website.
FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.
