There is something fitting about Blues on Broadbeach welcoming Robert Finley for his first ever Australian performances.
At 71, the Louisiana singer-songwriter arrives not as a newcomer, but as an artist who has spent a lifetime working toward this moment.
Finley’s first Australian tour — highlighted by his debut Blues on Broadbeach appearance — marks a major chapter in a career built on grit, reinvention and a deep, spiritual fire.
He comes armed with Hallelujah! Don’t Let the Devil Fool Ya, his fourth album for Easy Eye Sound and perhaps his most personal work yet; a gospel-soaked, soul-rich testament recorded in a single spontaneous day in Nashville with Dan Auerbach.
For Finley, though, the excitement of this tour is refreshingly simple.
He’s excited for the outdoor, beachside atmosphere of the festival, as well as the chance to meet local fans. From revelling under the Aussie sun to relaxing on the beach, he’s ready to enjoy his time Down Under.
“I have never been there, so I’m really, really looking forward to it,” he says. “Australia is one of the few places in the world I haven’t been… all we know is we’re going to be there, and it’s going to be a blast.”
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That sense of joy and openness has shaped a remarkable second act.
Raised in Bernice, Louisiana on gospel harmonies and hard work, Finley spent decades balancing music with life as a carpenter before vision loss pushed him toward the calling he’d always carried.
Discovery by the Music Maker Relief Foundation in 2015 sparked a run that has since taken him from cult favourite to global stages, from America’s Got Talent semi-finalist to one of contemporary blues and soul’s most singular voices.
Still, it is the live show where Finley’s legend truly breathes. And festival crowds on the Gold Coast can expect something far bigger than nostalgia.
“This is the night you’ll remember for the rest of your life,” he says. “If this is your first Robert Finley concert, you’re in for the real deal.”
His performances are famously communal, fuelled as much by storytelling and humour as blazing musicianship.
Backed by his UK-based Sierra Band and often joined by daughter Christy Johnson, Finley treats every show as both revival and celebration.
“If we can just be happy for an hour, put our differences to the side and enjoy the moment, that’s what I’m all about,” he says. “It doesn’t matter if it’s 10 people or 10,000 — they deserve your best.”
That spirit pulses through Hallelujah! Don’t Let the Devil Fool Ya, a record steeped in gospel conviction and hard-won wisdom.
It also reflects the philosophy that has carried him from Army bandleader and carpenter to global touring artist.
“You’re never too young to dream, and you’re never too old for your dream to come true,” Finley says. “Winners don’t quit, and quitters don’t win.”
For Australian audiences finally getting their first taste of Robert Finley in the flesh, that feels like more than a motto. It feels like the hard-won wisdom of an artist who arrived at international acclaim on his own terms.
“If anybody got an opportunity to pursue their dream and they don’t do it, they hurting themselves,” Finley says. “I just show up and show out.”
At Blues on Broadbeach, Australian audiences will finally get to witness that philosophy in person.
“No one leaves a Robert Finley show unhappy,” Finley promises. “Everybody got to dance.”
