Slim Newton dead: Country star known for Redback on the Toilet Seat dies at 90

Australian country musician Slim Newton died on January 8 at the age of 90.

Friends and family members confirmed his death on Facebook while paying tribute to the singer who had a career spanning 50 years.

He was believed to be suffering from dementia in the years before his death.

Australian country musician Slim Newton (pictured) died on January 8 at the age of 90, following a long battle with dementia 

One fan wrote: ‘I met him on several occasions when he was performing. I will miss him dearly. Goodbye, Slim, and thanks for the memories.’ 

Another said: ‘I was saddened by the news Slim had passed away. He packed a special lifetime into those nine decades and recorded some incredible music.’

Slim was born Ralph Newton in Western Australia in 1932 and shot to fame in 1972 with his tongue-in-cheek country ballad The Redback on the Toilet Seat.

He once told Woman’s Weekly he was inspired to write the tune after a visiting friend remarked they hoped there were no spiders in the outdoor lavatory.  

Friends and family members confirmed his death on Facebook while paying tribute to the singer who had a career spanning 50 years 

The Redback on the Toilet Seat made it to No. 3 on the Australian charts and became Slim’s signature song.

He followed it up with many other popular songs, none of which reached the same heights as Redback, and became a stalwart of the Australian country music scene. 

Despite his success, Newton never quit his day job as a welder and juggled his manual labour duties with performances for years. 

A family member revealed in a YouTube comment two years ago that Newton had been suffering from dementia for some time

His contributions to the industry were recognised in 1977 when he was inducted into the Australian Country Music Hands of Fame.

A memorial service for friends and family will be held in NSW on Friday, January 20.

Newton is survived by his four children, Stephen, Lisa, Linda and Jodi.

Slim was born Ralph Newton in Western Australia in 1932 and shot to fame in 1972 with his tongue-in-cheek country ballad The Redback on the Toilet Seat