Exclusive: Steve Earle To Speak At BIGSOUND

You thought the BIGSOUND line up was all done and dusted, didn't you? Well it's not; in fact the biggest name that BIGSOUND has secured for the year is yet to be announced, until right now.

None other than Steve Earle will be the opening keynote speaker at the 2012 BIGSOUND event this September. Widely considered to be one of the world's finest songwriters and certainly one of the most fascinating characters in the world of contemporary music is returning to Australia for the second time this year to speak at the country's biggest industry conference and showcase series.

Earle has released a huge number of albums, singles and live recordings in his time and earned a whopping 14 Grammy nominations (and won a few as well), but it's not just as a performer and a songwriter that he shines.

He's a published author, he has acted in a number of motion pictures and television programs (who can forget him as Waylon in HBO's The Wire?), he is an accomplished visual artist and he has lived through and overcome a serious struggle with heroin addiction, managing to resurrect his life and career when coming clean. He hosts a radio show, he's politically and socially outspoken and active… there's little that Steve Earle won't try his hand at. He's going to give fascinating insight at this year's BIGSOUND.

The Queensland Government's Minister for Tourism and Major Events Jann Stuckey today released a statement that seems to suggest BIGSOUND may be safe from Campbell Newman's well-publicised cost cutting that has recently seen funding for the things like the Premier's Literary Awards and the school music program Fanfare.

“BIGSOUND will once again deliver top national and international talent to Brisbane, with the addition of Steve Earle to this year's event being a great coup for Queensland,” Ms Stuckey said in this afternoon's statement.

“Supporting events like this is part of the Newman Government's plan to deliver on its goal to establish Queensland as Australia's number one tourist destination; doubling overnight visitor expenditure by 2020.”

BIGSOUND and its live showcase series BIGSOUND Live happens throughout Fortitude Valley from Wednesday 12 September through to Friday 14.

You can check out the full line up for BIGSOUND here.

Read an interview with Steve Earle here.