The Slim Dusty Family Show LIVE at Tamworth 1996 is the 47th release of the Australian Road Crew Association’s (ARCA) Desk Tape Series.

The Series was created by ARCA to raise badly-needed finances for Support Act’s Roadies Fund to provide financial, health, counselling and well-being services for roadies and crew in crisis.

The live tapes are recorded off the mixing desk by a crew member – here, it was Andrew Rodd, who was part of Slim Dusty’s crew for eight years.

It was inevitable Slim Dusty and Joy McKean, towering figures in Australian country music, had a significant presence during each Tamworth Country Music Festival in January.

They would arrive in Old Purple, Slim’s 1970 ZD Fairlane, and hang out with the 60,000 attendees. They’d be playing a show, and be guests at one or two of the 50 events, or be nominated for the Golden Guitars awards at end of the festival.

Slim & Joy's support in the early days was crucial to Tamworth becoming Australia's Country Music Capital and home to the Gold Guitar Awards. Joy won the first one in 1973 for writing "Lights On The Hill", and Slim went on to win 38 of the revered trophies.

In 1996 there was a great excitement at the festival when Dusty announced two shows. One was an onstage reunion of the family, and the next day saw a massive reunion of all the past members of his Travelling Country Band.