Singer Frank Ifield honoured with OAM

Country singer Frank Ifield's father christened him Francis thinking it would sound good as Sir Francis should he one day receive a knighthood.

The 71-year-old isn't a sir just yet, but he can now add an OAM to the end of his name after being awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.

"I haven't made the knighthood, but we're getting there slowly but surely," Ifield laughed.

"It's wonderful news, I'm really thrilled about it."

Ifield was recognised on the Queen's Birthday Honours list for his service to the arts as an entertainer.

Music has been his life since his parents gave him a ukulele for his 11th birthday.

At 13 Ifield started appearing on radio 2GB's Australian Amateur Hour, which led to a recording contract, headlining country concerts, and eventually national television exposure.

Born in England to Australian parents, Ifield found great success in the UK, where he became the first Australian artist to have three consecutive number one chart hits in the UK in the 1960s.

In 2007 he was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

No longer singing, for the past 12 years Ifield has been mentoring young Australian country artists who want to follow in his footsteps and make it internationally.

"I know how tough it was myself in the early days in show business and it's still just as tough today," Ifield said.

"I couldn't have survived without the mentors that I had, so I feel it's a good thing to do to nurture young talent here.

"I get a great kick just seeing some of my artists getting their records in the charts over there - it's almost like seeing a record of mine going up in the charts."