By Laine Clark in Brisbane

The Sheik of Scrubby Creek has ended his reign after more than 70 years.

Tributes have begun to flow for Chad Morgan after the Australian country music great with the unmistakable smile died at the age of 91.

The larrikin entertainer passed away at Gin Gin hospital north of Brisbane on Wednesday night, drawing the curtain on one of Australia’s most recognisable stars.

The larger-than-life singer and comedian was known for his standout grin and upturned hat fastened by a safety pin.

Born in Wondai northwest of Brisbane in 1933, Mr Morgan worked on stations around central Queensland and undertook national service when he began writing songs.

Littered with Australian slang, Mr Morgan’s songs stood out as much as his smile and he was discovered on radio talent contest show Australia’s Amateur Hour.

He became a national finalist thanks to his original composition The Sheik of Scrubby Creek.

It was his first single released in late 1952, and the moniker stuck with the entertainer throughout his decades-long career.

“I went into the air force in ’52 and mates heard me singing and they dared me to go on Amateur Hour and it snowballed from there,” Mr Morgan told the ABC in 2016.

He toured extensively across the country from tents to the Sydney Opera House, delighting audiences with comedy stylings such as “I’m My Own Grandpa” and “The Shotgun Wedding”.

Dubbed the “clown prince of comedy” by country great Slim Dusty, Mr Morgan released 18 studio albums with a number of greatest hits collections including “Sheilas, Drongos, Dills and Other Geezers”.

He achieved platinum and gold album sales as his influence on Australian culture grew.

Mr Morgan appeared in films Newsfront and Dimboola in the late 1970s, becoming a regular on Reg Lindsay’s Country and Western Hour national TV show.

His signature smile is believed to be the inspiration behind Barry Humphries’ brash “Australian cultural attache” Les Patterson character.

Mr Morgan received a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2004 and was recognised with a lifetime achievement nod at the 2010 Country Music Association of Australia Awards.

A permanent exhibition honouring Mr Morgan opened in August last year at Childers, near his birthplace of Gin Gin.

His son Chad Junior confirmed his father’s death to the ABC, prompting tributes from Australian country music royalty to former premiers.

“RIP Chad Morgan. What a legacy mate and he outlived them all just hanging in there and always being so funny,” country music star Troy Cassar-Daley tweeted.

“Chad Morgan was a country music icon,” ex-Queensland Premier Steven Miles said on social media.