[1] Blair was born at the Barambah Aboriginal Reserve at Cherbourg, 5 kilometres (3 mi) from Murgon in Queensland, on 13 September 1924.

Communist trade union organiser Harry Green[3] of Ipswich heard him singing and encouraged him to make it his career.

[8] He boarded at John and Gwen Lloyd's (Gwenoldyn Kent Hughes) house in Melbourne while he attended the Melba Conservatorium.

In 1951, the Australian Broadcasting Commission offered Blair a three-year singing contract, commencing with an extensive tour to celebrate 50 years of Federation.

At least one critic disapproved of the ABC's lionizing an unproven performer,[11][12] but Henri Penn,[13] his accompanist throughout the tour, was generally praised.

[14] His repertoire consisted largely of European classical pieces in their original tongue — German lieder, Italian opera, and French art songs, as well as works in English by Handel and Southern spirituals.

He also introduced traditional Aboriginal songs — "Nananala Kututja" ("O God, Stay With Us Always"), "Maranoa Lullaby" (arranged by Dr. H. O. Lethbridge, of Narrandera and Arthur S. Leam of Wagga), "Jabin Jabin" and other traditional songs, but admitted he most enjoyed singing "Aba Daba Honeymoon" with his wife Dorothy.

[20] Coincident with the ABC's 1951 tour was the variety spectacular Out of the Dark – An Aboriginal Moomba, celebrating Victoria's 100-year jubilee, in which Blair, as well as Doug Nicholls, Bill Onus, and Georgia Lee participated.

In 1963 he stood as a candidate for the Australian Labor Party for the seat of Mentone in the Victorian Parliament against Edward Meagher, the then Transport Minister and chairman of the Aboriginal Welfare Board.

[22] Blair married a fellow conservatorium singing student, Dorothy Eden,[23] on 30 July 1949,[24] and had two children, Nerida and Warren.