Ronald Leslie Burns, known as Ronnie Burns, was born on September 8, 1946, in Elwood, Melbourne, Victoria. He started his music career with his brother's folk music group, and later joined The Flies (5) in the early 1960s. They released their first single, "Tell Her That," in 1965. Burns then pursued a solo career and debuted a single titled "Very Last Day" in 1966. He achieved several hits throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, including "Coalman" in 1966, which peaked at Number 6 on the Go-Set National Top 40, and his solo hit single "Smiley" reached Number two on the same chart in 1970. He was a member of Burns Cotton & Morris in the 1990s and retired from performing in 2000. On June 10, 2013, Burns was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for his significant service to the community and the entertainment industry.
