Jimmy Little began his recording career in 1956, firstly with Regal Zonophone and then with Columbia before signing to Festival Records in 1959. 45 years later Jimmy is still making music with the Festival Mushroom Group who only recently celebrated their 50th year as a record company.

Jimmy's first Festival recording was a 45rpm extended play record called "Ballads with a Beat" that reached top ten in the popular Australian music charts. This heralded a steady stream of extended plays, singles and albums throughout the 60s', including the chart topping "Royal Telephone" in 1963. Selling more than 75,000 copies it achieved gold record status and has now become one of his signature tunes. His nationwide profile grew through regular television appearances, radio airplay and constant touring, so much so that by 1964 Australian national magazine Everybody's, which was the bible of the teen scene in the early 60s' named Jimmy Australian Pop Star of the Year.

Jimmy has said that apart from his admiration for his father's own musical talent, his two greatest musical influences had been Nat King Cole and American country artist Jim Reeves. His early recordings for Festival definitely reflect this. With his effortless, silky smooth vocal style atop the lush orchestrated arrangements of the early 60s', Jimmy began adopting a more traditional country sound as the decade progressed.

By the time the west coast American country rock sound began to dominate the airwaves in the early seventies, Jimmy was acknowledged as one of Australia's premier country music stars. Although mostly recognised for country musical style, he kept his fondness for big orchestral sounds alive in his 1972 album 'Winterwood'. He quickly followed that with his top ten hit single 'Baby Blue' in 1974, and subsequent releases continued in this vein culminating with the 1978 double album set 'An Evening with Jimmy Little' - live at The Sydney Opera House.

In the 1980s’ Jimmys’ life took a different direction. In 1983 he recorded the single, “Beautiful Woman” with American producer Ricky Fataar. As it is in the tradition of reggae music Jimmy aimed to inspire indigenous youth as a role model and as a mentor/teacher for the indigenous adult education course at the Eora college for performing arts in Redfern. Today Jimmy remains committed to indigenous education and continues to use his recognition and success as an entertainer, spending considerable time as an indigenous ambassador for the Department of Training, Youth and Educations literacy and numeracy indigenous education program.

Jimmy had begun an acting career in the late 1950’s with a major role in the film “Shadow of the Boomerang”. This was followed with his other roles on the theatre stage in plays such as "Black Cookatoo" and films by Tracy Moffatt as well as Wim Wenders film “ Until the end of the World”. By 1989 he had been awarded the honour of being the recipient of the National Aboriginal Day of Observance Committee's "Aboriginal of the Year" award. In the early 1990s he rejoined the Country touring circuit as a member of the “Kings of Country” revue. In recognition of his outstanding career in country music he was elevated to the prestigious Tamworth Roll of Renown in 1994.

At the insistence of Brendan Gallagher, a musician and producer, they recorded an album of mainly alternative and classic Australian rock songs from the 1980s. The resulting album “Messenger” was an immediate success reaching the top ten of the alternative music charts in 1999 and introducing Jimmy to a new young audience through extensive airplay on the youth network Triple J FM. “Messenger” achieved yet another gold record for Jimmy and it was awarded the ARIA award for Adult contemporary album for 1999. That year, the ARIA board also inducted Jimmy into the ARIA Australian Music Hall of Fame. In 2001 Jimmy released the critically acclaimed “Resonate” CD which featured a collection of beautiful songs crafted by some of Australia's greatest songwriters.

As Jimmy entered the sixth decade in the entertainment business he loves so much, he was diagnosed with serious kidney disease. After a spell in hospital he began a regime of daily self dialysis four times a day and returned to limited live performances. While on tour Jimmy visited renal clinics and community centres across Australia entertaining the staff and patients and spreading his message of hope as living proof of a productive life while on dialysis. He appeared in Television programs promoting good health awareness in Northern and Western Australia where kidney disease is rampant.

The 2003 CD release “Down the Road” on ABC records marked Jimmy's long awaited return to country music and his latest album “Life's what you make it” released by Festival/Mushroom records sees him reunited again with “Messenger” producer Brendan Gallagher. After nearly two years on dialysis Jimmy recieved a kidney transplant in Feb 2004. The operation was a complete success and following a six month convalescence, Jimmy has returned to the nomadic troubador lifestyle he thrives on.

Jimmy is a very proud Australian who has something in his repertoire to entertain all age groups. In 2004 a public vote named him a “National Living Treasure” and Jimmy received an Australian Order ( AO ) for his life in the entertainment industry and his ongoing work with indigenous education and health. Queensland University of Technology have awarded Jimmy an honorary Doctorate and recently he received the Classic Rock performer MO award of 2004.

A documentary entitled "Jimmy Littles' Gentle Journey" was completed and shown on ABC TV earlier this year.

During the next six months, Jimmy will undertake a tour of theatres and larger clubs where the film and a live performance from the man himself will be seen together.