Forever Five: Joe Camilleri (The Black Sorrows)

Ever wondered what albums sit atop your favourite artists’ turntables? Forever Five is a Waxx Lyrical series spotlighting the five records that shaped the artists we love most. No rankings, no essays — just the albums that live closest to their hearts. Come for the choices, stay for the typically remarkable playlist that follows — woven from their picks and their own catalogue — culminating in a fascinating little mini music lesson every time.

Explore more in the Media Centre and on Instagram via #waxxlyricalforeverfive.

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JOE CAMILLERI (THE BLACK SORROWS)

🎷 Soul alchemist. Relentless bandleader. Bona fide Australian legend.

🎤 The man with a horn, a heart, and a hunger that never quit.

🔥 From Brunswick bars to European stages, he’s kept the flame burning.

Photo: Tania Jovanovic

Joe Camilleri is a household name — one of the few artists who can truly lay claim to shaping the sound of Australian music across generations. From his early days fronting the rollicking R&B outfit Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons, through to the enduring soul, grit and sophistication of The Black Sorrows, Joe has always chased songs that feel alive.

From the heartache of ‘Harley & Rose’ to the streetwise swagger of ‘Never Let Me Go’ and ‘Chained to the Wheel’, his work has always been about connection — and it spoke to Australian audiences with crystal clarity. The pulse of the band — between spirit and sound, joy and struggle — has always resonated deeply with us.

It’s easy to forget how many lives his music has touched. Long before they became household names, Vika & Linda Bull found their first major platform under Joe’s wing — their harmonies forming a vital part of The Black Sorrows’ heartbeat and paving the way for their own remarkable careers. That generosity of spirit, that instinct to lift others while he plays, has always been central to Joe’s genius.

A glance at his musical résumé reads like a who’s who of Australian music history — he’s worked with, played beside, or produced more legends than most of us have records in our collections. From the pub circuit to festival halls, Joe has remained a collaborator’s collaborator: restless, generous, and forever in tune with the next great song.

This year, that journey gets its victory lap with The Quintessential Black Sorrows — a hand-picked double album spanning four decades of songwriting alongside longtime lyricist Nick Smith, with whom Joe was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2024. A national tour through 2025–26 celebrates that same fire: rhythm, resilience, and reinvention, still burning bright.

And through it all, the records that shaped him remain close at hand — five timeless touchstones that echo the soul of the man himself.

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Forever Five Kris Sch

LISTEN — JOE CAMILLERI'S FOREVER FIVE

A trio of tracks from each of his choices, plus an essential five tracks of his own.

The resulting playlist flows like a mini music history lesson.

Joe Camilleri’s Forever Five

LINDA RONSTADT – Canciones de Mi Padre

A lesson in pride and purity. Ronstadt’s mariachi masterpiece showed Joe that authenticity transcends language — sing it true, and the feeling will follow.

Needle-drop: ‘La Charreada’

JOHN COLTRANE QUARTET– Ballads

Stillness as strength. The quiet command of Coltrane’s quartet taught him that emotion can whisper louder than it shouts.

Needle-drop: ‘You Don’t Know What Love Is’

AMY WINEHOUSE – Back to Black

Heartbreak and humour in perfect disarray. Amy’s raw honesty reminded Joe how timeless soul can sound brand-new.

Needle-drop: ‘Love Is a Losing Game’

Joe Camilleri The Black Sorrows

BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS – Burnin’

Rebellion with rhythm. Marley’s spiritual urgency reinforced Joe’s belief that groove and gospel share the same bloodline.

Needle-drop: ‘Get Up, Stand Up’

GARLAND JEFFREYS – Ghost Writer

A street poet’s diary. Jeffreys’ blend of grit and grace has long mirrored Joe’s own instinct — to tell the truth and let it groove.

Needle-drop: ‘Wild in the Streets’

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM HERE

THE QUINTESSENTIAL BLACK SORROWS TOUR DATES 2025/2026

Ticket details available here

8^th November - Townsville Civic Theatre, Townsville QLD

***SELLING FAST***

9^th November - Airlie Beach Festival of Music, Airlie Beach QLD

14^th November - Civic Centre, Cowra NSW

***SELLING FAST***

15^th November - Playhouse Theatre, Canberra ACT

***SELLING FAST***

16^th November - Enmore Theatre, Sydney NSW

21^st November - The Wedge, Sale VIC

22^nd November - Melbourne Recital Centre, Melbourne VIC

23^rd November - The Playhouse GAC, Geelong VIC

28^th November - Manning Theatre, Taree NSW

29^th November - Sunset Sounds, Toronto NSW

***SELLING FAST***

5^th December - The J, Noosa QLD

***SOLD OUT***

6^th December - Twin Towns Showroom, Tweed Heads NSW

7^th December - Tivoli Theatre, Brisbane QLD

15^th January – Laurieton United Services Club, Laurieton NSW

16^th January - The Longyard Hotel, Tamworth NSW

17^th January – Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour NSW

18^th January – Ballina RSL, Ballina NSW

13^th February - Margaret River Heart, Margaret River WA

14^th February - Astor Theatre, Perth WA

15^th February - Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide SA

22^nd February – Theatre Royal, Castlemaine VIC

28^th March – Centro CBD, Wollongong NSW

29^th March – Tilba Valley Winery & Alehouse, Corunna NSW

23^rd April – Palais Theatre, Franklin TAS

24^th April – Dodges Ferry Hotel, Dodges Ferry TAS

25^th April – The Pier - Island State Brewing, Ulverstone TAS

24^th April – Spring Hill Mill, Triabunna TAS