WITH a career dating back to the 1960s, country artist and broadcaster Floreena Forbes is no stranger to awards.<\/p>\n
She can now add a Victorian Seniors Award to her list of accolades.<\/p>\n
Forbes started performing music in the 1960s and presenting radio in the 1990s and has no plans on slowing down any time soon.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means a lot, I\u2019m proud to be a senior citizen and to think I\u2019ve come as far as I have,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI bought my guitar in 1965 and started my music in the band in 1977 and so during the course of learning the guitar and enjoying my music, I started working a lot with the senior citizens of that time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI used to go into the nursing homes and still do, I\u2019d go to the senior clubs and do a lot of charity things.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy the time you leave, they\u2019ve got a smile on their face, and you feel you\u2019ve done something for the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the last six years, Forbes has helped raise $18,000 for cancer and during her career has held charity concerts for the Salvation Army, bushfire appeals, farmers, and droughts.<\/p>\n
In 2006, Forbes was a foundation member of Phoenix FM and held concerts, chocolate drives and bootscootin\u2019 fundraisers to help the community station secure a license.<\/p>\n
Today, she still hosts her country music program, where she plays country and bluegrass and interviews artists, established and emerging.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like to try and help the artists that are up and coming of today, not only yesterday,\u201d she said. \u201cThe country music that\u2019s coming out today, there is a lot of good music coming out.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love doing my shows and I love country music people, I\u2019ve made many, many great friends through the country music industry and the radio.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2008, Forbes was diagnosed with breast cancer and was forced to evacuate her house during the bushfire season, while undergoing treatment.<\/p>\n
She never missed a beat however, and was honoured for her work in country music by being inducted into the Australian Country Music Broadcaster\u2019s Hall of Fame in 2017.<\/p>\n
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Forbes kept the show alive, broadcasting from home via her own computer set-up.<\/p>\n