On Sunday, October 19th, the Australian country music community quietly lost one of its most passionate supporters Ron Dore.
To so many he wasn’t just a fan, he was a familiar face in the crowd. You would often see him at festivals and shows, where he would always be up for a chat. He was part of the glue that holds a community like ours together and was proof that it’s not always the loudest voices that have the biggest impact, but sometimes it's the ones who simply show up, consistently over and over again.
Dore meant a lot to a lot of people and his passing leaves an undeniable space in the Australian country music scene and in the hearts of all who knew him.
Country stars and industry members shared sweet tributes online. Roo Arcus shared a touching slideshow of pictures captioned:
“RIP Ronnie Dore. I’m sure gonna miss ya mate.
You were generous, big hearted, sometimes a bear… and a jackass, fun, staunch, served your country, proud, a Broncos fan, loved your country music, a good listening ear, a drinkin’ buddy, but most of all you were my very good friend.
I’ll never drink a Shiner beer or eat a chicken fried steak without thinking of you… just like always.
Cheers to you mate“
To Ron - thank you for everything. For showing up, caring, loving the music, and the people who make it.
You’ll always have a front row seat.