John Williamson (singer)
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John Robert Williamson (born 1 November 1945) is an Australian country music and folk music singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, television host and conservationist. Williamson usually writes and performs songs that relate to the history and culture of Australia, particularly the outback, in a similar vein to
Slim Dusty Slim Dusty, AO MBE (born David Gordon Kirkpatrick; 13 June 1927 – 19 September 2003) was an Australian country music singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. He was an Australian cultural icon and one of the country's most awarded stars ...
and Buddy Williams before him. Williamson has released over fifty albums, ten
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, five DVDs, and two lyric books and has sold more than 4,000,000 albums in Australia. His best known hit is " True Blue". On
Australia Day Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port Ja ...
(26 January) in 1992 Williamson was made a
Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...
(AM) with the citation: "for service to Australian country music and in stimulating awareness of conservation issues". He has received twenty-six
Golden Guitar The Big Golden Guitar is one of the many "big" attractions that can be found around Australia. Located in Tamworth, New South Wales, the monument is one of the best-known points of interest in New England. It is also a major attraction duri ...
trophies at the
Country Music Awards of Australia The Country Music Awards of Australia also known as the Golden Guitar Awards (originally named Australasian Country Music Awards) is an annual awards night held in January during the Tamworth Country Music Festival, in Tamworth, New South Wales ...
, he has won three
ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...
for Best Country Album and, in 2010, was inducted into the related Hall of Fame.


Early life

John Robert Williamson was born on 1 November 1945 at
Kerang Kerang is a rural town on the Loddon River in northern Victoria in Australia. It is the commercial centre to an irrigation district based on livestock, horticulture, lucerne and grain. It is located north-west of Melbourne on the Murray V ...
Bush Nursing Hospital to Keith Williamson and Shirley Ellen (née Manuel). He grew up in Quambatook, in the Mallee district of north-western Victoria. His parents farmed wheat crops on various small land lots in the region and both were amateur performing artists singing in local
Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...
productions. Williamson is the oldest of five sons Whose names in order are William, Robin, Peter and Jeff.


Origins and beginnings

Williamson's performance style originates from his 'farmland, not city bitumen' lifestyle, and his upbringing is referred to by the nickname, 'The Mallee Boy'. His early musical influences were
Roger Miller Roger Dean Miller Sr. (January 2, 1936 – October 25, 1992) was an American singer-songwriter, widely known for his honky-tonk-influenced novelty songs and his chart-topping Country music, country and pop hits "King of the Road (song), Ki ...
and
Rolf Harris Rolf Harris (born 30 March 1930) is an Australian entertainer whose career has encompassed work as a musician, singer-songwriter, composer, comedian, actor, painter and television personality. He often used unusual instruments in his performan ...
, both of whom provided inspirational elements for his first hit, namely using a vocal imitation from Miller's "
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" and replacing Rolf's wobble board with a Jew's Harp">Jaw's Harp. From the age of seven he learned to play the ukulele from his father, before proceeding when he was twelve to guitar and taught himself to play harmonica. For the last four years of secondary schooling Williamson attended Scotch College in Melbourne. In the early 1960s, while still at college, he formed a
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
group. After schooling Williamson returned home to become a farmer and, in 1965, the family moved to Croppa Creek, near Moree, where Williamson began performing at a local restaurant.


Career


1970s

In 1969 John Williamson wrote a novelty song, "
Old Man Emu "Old Man Emu" is a song written and recorded by the Australian country singer John Williamson. In 1970, Williamson performed the song on TV talent show, ''New Faces'', winning first place. Williamson signed with Fable Records after the win. "O ...
", and early the following year he performed the track on TV talent quest, ''
New Faces ''New Faces'' is a British television talent show that aired in the 1970s and 1980s. It has been hosted by Leslie Crowther, Derek Hobson and Marti Caine. It was produced for the ITV network by ATV, and later by Central. Original series: 197 ...
'', winning first place. He later reflected on his songwriting process, and the importance of his guitar, "no matter where I go I'll have one with me, in case I come up with a song, I've got to have the guitar straight away. I always write the words and the music together". In early 1970 he signed a recording contract with
Fable Records Fable Records was an Australian independent record company which operated from 1970 to 1984. It was one of the most successful and productive Australian 'indie' labels of the period, issuing over 300 singles and dozens of EPs and LPs. Fable made ...
owner and ''New Faces''s judge,
Ron Tudor Ronald Stewart Tudor MBE (18 May 1924 – 21 August 2020) was an Australian music producer, engineer, label owner and record industry executive. He started his career with W&G Records in 1956 as a sales representative; he became their in-hous ...
. In May "Old Man Emu" was released as a single on Tudor's label, which peaked at No. 3 on the ''
Go-Set ''Go-Set'' was the first Australian pop music newspaper, published weekly from 2 February 1966 to 24 August 1974, and was founded in Melbourne by Phillip Frazer, Peter Raphael and Tony Schauble. NOTE: This PDF is 282 pages. Widely described as ...
'' National Top 60. It was awarded a gold certification and was listed at No. 14 on ''Go-Set''s Top Records for the Year of 1970. His self-titled debut album followed in mid-year and, although it featured "Old Man Emu", it had little commercial success: only selling two-thousand copies. Since "Old Man Emu" was his only hit he had to perform it two or three times per gig. Williamson's follow-up single, "Under the Bridge" backed with "The Unexplored Shadows of Mine" was issued in November with certain pressings having its A and B-sides swapped around. By February 1971 the album's third single, "Beautiful Sydney", appeared. A string of non-album singles followed including, in March 1972, "Misery Farm" with Lumpy Pumpkin. In 1973 Williamson hosted a country music TV series, ''Travlin' Out West'', which ran for two years, broadcast by NBN-3, Newcastle. He performed with two regular acts, Ricky & Tammy, and Emma Hannah. The program provided two albums for the regulars, ''Travlin' Out West in Concert'' (1973) and ''From Travlin' Out West'' (1974) issued by
Reg Grundy Productions Reg Grundy Organisation (founded as Reg Grundy Enterprises, later known as both Reg Grundy Productions and Grundy Television and known informally as Grundy's) was an Australian-based multinational mass media company, primarily involved in tele ...
. In 1976 he issued his second album, ''The Comic Strip Cowboy'', but it failed to chart. In early 1978, Williamson released his first compilation album under the ''Country Greats'' series. This was followed later in the year by his third album, ''Road to Town'', with contributions by other musicians including
Tommy Emmanuel William Thomas Emmanuel (born 31 May 1955) is an Australian guitarist. Regarded as one of the greatest acoustic guitarists of all time, he is known for his complex fingerstyle technique, energetic performances and use of percussive effects on ...
on guitar. Also that year Williamson formed a country music band, Crow, which performed on the pub and club circuit across Australia. In 1980 Crow were renamed as Sydney Radio, to play rock music with a reggae influence. The members used face paint, with Williamson disguised as the clown, Ludwig Leichhardt. Williamson penned rock and reggae numbers for the band some of which were recorded but never released. Since 1970 Williamson has had a friendship with radio presenter,
John Laws Richard John Sinclair Laws CBE (born 8 August 1935) is a Papua New Guinean-born Australian radio announcer. For 50 years, until 2007, he was the host of an Australian morning radio program combining music with interviews, opinion, live adverti ...
, who calls Williamson his 'little brother'. In 1977, Williamson recorded and released a single, "It's a Grab It While It's Goin' Kind of Life", which is a musical tribute to Laws. Up until Laws' first retirement on 25 June 2007, Williamson wrote and performed a series of
jingle A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meaning that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually t ...
s for Laws' morning show on 2UE, and his final jingle was "Hey good on ya Lawsie, you pulled the plug at last". Laws made a successful comeback to radio broadcasting in February 2011, this time at
2SM 2SM is an Australian radio station, licensed to and serving Sydney, broadcasting on 1269 kilohertz on the AM band. It is owned and operated by Broadcast Operations Group. The SM call sign is taken from the initials of Saint Mary's. 2SM's progra ...
, part of the Super Radio Network, and Williamson's jingles for his programme resumed.


1980s

In early 1981 John Williamson's rock group, Sydney Radio, disbanded and he began playing solo in pubs, which attracted more new fans. He recorded a tribute song for
ANZAC The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was a First World War army corps of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the Gallipoli campaign. General William Birdwood comma ...
s, "Diggers of the ANZAC (This Is Gallipoli)", which was well received and issued as a single. Williamson met Pixie Jenkins, a fiddle player, and the two toured together for several years. In April 1981 Williamson issued a single, "The Breaker", featuring narrated vocals by
Charles 'Bud' Tingwell Charles William Tingwell AM (3 January 1923 – 15 May 2009), known professionally as Bud Tingwell or Charles 'Bud' Tingwell, was an Australian film, television, theatre and radio actor. One of the veterans of Australian film, he acted in his ...
, which was inspired by the movie, ''
Breaker Morant Harry "The Breaker" Harbord Morant (born Edwin Henry Murrant, 9 December 1864 – 27 February 1902), more popularly known as Breaker Morant, was an Anglo-Australian drover, horseman, bush poet, military officer, and war criminal who was co ...
'' (1980) (which had Tingwell as a supporting actor). "The Breaker" enabled Williamson to cast off the "Old Man Emu" novelty tag and " s long apprenticeship flowed into an apparently endless set of songs charming Australians with stories and images about themselves and their country". In 1982, he recorded a new track, " True Blue", which was included on a compilation album, ''True Blue: The Best of John Williamson''. Later that year, he issued ''Fair Dinkum J.W.'', featuring traditional Australian ballads, "With My Swag upon My Shoulder", "Botany Bay" and "Brisbane Ladies"; as well as originals, "Country Football", "Kill the Night", "Wrinkles" and "(You've Gotta Be) Fair Dinkum", a duet with Karen Johns. In 1983 Williamson released his first solo live album, '' Singing in the Suburbs'' and another live album, '' The Smell of Gum Leaves'', in September 1984. It featured another comic track, "I'm Fair Dinkum". Williamson then launched his merchandise business, The Fair Dinkum Road Company, in Sydney. The album included his cover version of
Spectrum A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors i ...
's 1971 single, " I'll Be Gone", which he played using only guitar and harmonica. At the start of 1985 he founded an independent record label, Gumleaf Recordings. At the
Country Music Awards of Australia The Country Music Awards of Australia also known as the Golden Guitar Awards (originally named Australasian Country Music Awards) is an annual awards night held in January during the Tamworth Country Music Festival, in Tamworth, New South Wales ...
in January that year, he won 'Song of the Year' for "Queen in the Sport of Kings". He then issued a new compilation, ''Humble Beginnings'', featuring tracks from his first three studio albums. He released another studio album that year, '' Road Thru the Heart''. At the Country Music Awards of Australia in January 1986, he won 'Album of the Year' for ''Road Thru the Heart'' and 'Male Vocalist of the Year' for "You and My Guitar". In July 1986, Williamson released another compilation, ''
All the Best! ''All the Best!'' is the second official compilation album of Paul McCartney's music, after 1978's ''Wings Greatest''. It was released in 1987 on Capitol Records and Parlophone Records. Background The album contains tracks from the beginning ...
'' which contained eighteen of his most-requested tracks both from studio and live works. As a bonus, Williamson collaborated with both of his daughters, Ami and Georgie, and with Australian folk group Bullamakanka on "
Goodbye Blinky Bill "Goodbye Blinky Bill" is a song written and recorded by John Williamson with Bullamakanka and John’s daughters Ami and Georgie. The song was released in a limited edition in March 1986 as the only single from Williamson's 1986 compilation alb ...
" – highlighting the comic
koala The koala or, inaccurately, koala bear (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the womb ...
character of the same name. When issued as a single, the purchase price included an A$1.00 donation to the Koala Preservation Society in
Port Macquarie Port Macquarie is a coastal town in the local government area of Port Macquarie-Hastings. It is located on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, about north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. The town is located on the Tasman Sea co ...
. At the Country Music Awards of Australia in January 1986, he won 'Album of the Year' for ''Road Thru the Heart'' and 'Male Vocalist of the Year' for "You and My Guitar". In November 1986 Williamson's Gumleaf Recordings distributed his breakthrough album, '' Mallee Boy'', which peaked in the Top 10 on the
Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to January 1999. The chart was re-branded the Australian Music Report (AMR) in July ...
Albums Chart. Note: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1974 until
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA) created their own
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in mid-1988. It remained in the top 50 for a year-and-a-half, and was awarded a triple platinum certificate. It was "filled with storytelling that spanned from his own beginnings on that farm in the Victorian Mallee to every corner of the nation". At the
ARIA Music Awards of 1987 The First Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAS) was held on 2 March 1987 at the Sheraton Wentworth Hotel in Sydney with Elton John as the host. The awards were ...
, ''Mallee Boy'' was named the inaugural winner of Best Country Album. At the Country Music Awards of Australia in January 1987, he won 'Album of the Year' for ''Mallee Boy'' and 'Male Vocalist of the Year' for " True Blue". Popular tracks include the title song, "Galleries of Pink Galahs" (see
Galah The galah (; ''Eolophus roseicapilla''), also known as the pink and grey cockatoo or rose-breasted cockatoo, is the only species within genus ''Eolophus'' of the cockatoo family. Found throughout Australia, it is among the most common of the c ...
), "
Raining on the Rock "Raining on the Rock" is a song written and performed by Australian singer-songwriter John Williamson (singer), John Williamson. The title is in reference to Uluru with references in the song to Albert Namatjira and Kata Tjuta, Kata Tjuta (The O ...
" (see
Uluru Uluru (; pjt, Uluṟu ), also known as Ayers Rock ( ) and officially Gazette#Gazette as a verb, gazetted as UluruAyers Rock, is a large sandstone geological formation, formation in the centre of Australia. It is in the southern part of the ...
) and "Cootamundra Wattle" (see ''
Acacia baileyana ''Acacia baileyana'' or Cootamundra wattle is a shrub or tree in the flowering plant family Fabaceae. The scientific name of the species honours the botanist Frederick Manson Bailey. It is indigenous to a very small area in southern inland New ...
''). The album had a re-recorded version of "True Blue" which was released as a single in September. Williamson was asked by the Australian Made Campaign whether they could use "True Blue" for their TV and radio ads. It became a career highlight and was adopted as a theme by the
Australia national cricket team The Australia men's national cricket team represents Australia in men's international cricket. As the joint oldest team in Test cricket history, playing in the first ever Test match in 1877, the team also plays One-Day International (ODI) an ...
. To support ''Mallee Boy'' Williamson performed his concerts in a
campfire A campfire is a fire at a campsite that provides light and warmth, and heat for cooking. It can also serve as a beacon, and an insect and predator deterrent. Established campgrounds often provide a stone or steel fire ring for safety. Campfires ...
setting and since that time he commences many of his shows with its title track. At the Country Music Awards of Australia in January 1988, he won 'Top Selling Album' for ''Mallee Boy''. In April 1988 Williamson issued his seventh studio album, '' Boomerang Café'', which peaked at No. 10 on the Kent Music Report. At the
ARIA Music Awards of 1989 The Third Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAS) was held on 6 March 1989 at the Darling Harbour Convention Centre in Sydney. First Australian host Greedy Smith o ...
, ''Boomerang Café'' won his second award for Best Country Album. At the Country Music Awards of Australia in January 1989, he won 'Top Selling Album' and 'Album of the Year' for ''Boomerang Café''. Despite the title song's lyrics, Williamson has told concert audiences that he did not actually meet his future wife, Mary-Kay, in The Boomerang Cafe but actually by a
water tank A water tank is a container for storing water. Water tanks are used to provide storage of water for use in many applications, drinking water, irrigation agriculture, fire suppression, agricultural farming, both for plants and livestock, chemi ...
. Williamson performed at the opening of the New Parliament House. In September 1989, he issued ''
Warragul Warragul is a town in Victoria, Australia, south-east of Melbourne. Warragul lies between the Strzelecki Ranges to the south and the Mount Baw Baw Plateau of the Great Dividing Range to the north. As of the , the town had a population of 19,8 ...
'' (meaning
dingo The dingo (''Canis familiaris'', ''Canis familiaris dingo'', ''Canis dingo'', or ''Canis lupus dingo'') is an ancient (Basal (phylogenetics), basal) lineage of dog found in Australia (continent), Australia. Its taxonomic classification is de ...
in the
Wiradjuri language Wiradjuri (; many other spellings, see Wiradjuri) is a Pama–Nyungan language of the Wiradhuric subgroup. It is the traditional language of the Wiradjuri people of Australia. A progressive revival is underway, with the language being taught ...
), which became his first number-one album the following month. That same year
Variety Club Variety, the Children's Charity is a charitable organization founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1927. History On October 10, 1927, a group of eleven men involved in show business set up a social club which they named the "Variety Club". On ...
named him 'Entertainer of the Year'.


1990s

At the Country Music Awards of Australia for 1990, John Williamson won 'Top Selling Album' and 'Album of the Year' for ''
Warragul Warragul is a town in Victoria, Australia, south-east of Melbourne. Warragul lies between the Strzelecki Ranges to the south and the Mount Baw Baw Plateau of the Great Dividing Range to the north. As of the , the town had a population of 19,8 ...
'', and 'Heritage Award' for " Drover's Boy". At the ARIA Music Awards of 1990, ''Warragul'' earned his third Best Country Album award. In October 1990 Williamson released ''
JW's Family Album ''JW's Family Album'' is the ninth studio album by Australian country music artist John Williamson. The album was released in October 1990 and peaked at number 21 on the ARIA Charts and was certified platinum. It included a re-recording of Will ...
'' which reached No. 21. In 1990 a new version of "Old Man Emu" appeared as a single, with a new lyric added: "He can run the pants off a dingo too". In September 1992 his next album, '' Waratah St'', was released it reached No. 14 on the ARIA Albums Chart, and had received a gold certificate on pre-sale orders. At the Country Music Awards of Australia in January 1992, he won 'Top Selling Album' for ''
JW's Family Album ''JW's Family Album'' is the ninth studio album by Australian country music artist John Williamson. The album was released in October 1990 and peaked at number 21 on the ARIA Charts and was certified platinum. It included a re-recording of Will ...
''. Late in 1991 he combined with other country musicians,
Slim Dusty Slim Dusty, AO MBE (born David Gordon Kirkpatrick; 13 June 1927 – 19 September 2003) was an Australian country music singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. He was an Australian cultural icon and one of the country's most awarded stars ...
,
Joy McKean Joy McKean , (born 14 January 1930), is an Australian country music singer-songwriter and wife and manager of the late Slim Dusty. Known as the "grand lady" of Australian country music, McKean is recognised as one of Australia's leading songwrite ...
, Phil Matthews and Max Ellis to organise the founding of the
Country Music Association of Australia The Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA) is an association formed in 1992 that promotes and represents the Australian country music industry. As the peak national industry body, its activities include organisation, promotion and stagin ...
(CMAA), which "would fight for the interests of the Australian country music industry particularly in regard to the Awards". It was launched in January 1992 with Dusty as inaugural chairman and Williamson as vice-chairman and later that year CMAA took over the organisation of the Country Music Awards of Australia – established in 1973 – from radio station, 2TM based in Tamworth. Williamson's compilation, '' Australia Calling – All the Best Vol 2'', was released in October, which peaked at number 32 and was certified platinum. Its lead single, "Australia Calling", was also released while another new track was the studio recording of "I'll Be Gone", and was used to raise awareness for homeless youth. At the beginning of 1993, Williamson issued '' Love is a Good Woman'', a compilation of his love songs, with new tracks "Good Woman" and "Misty Blue". In September that year, after watching the TV announcement that Sydney had won the bid to host the
2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...
, Williamson wrote "Sydney 2000" and was invited to perform it on the steps of the
Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...
. A year later, it was recorded for his next album, '' Mulga to Mangoes'', which peaked at No. 14. Associated singles were "Seven Year Itch", "River Crying Out" and "Tropical Fever". At the Country Music Awards of Australia in January 1995, he won 'Video Track of the Year' for "Tropical Fever" – directed by Mark Jago. During the year he celebrated twenty-five years in the Australian music industry with a new compilation, '' True Blue – The Very Best of John Williamson'', which reached the top 30. It included two new tracks, "Bush Town (The Lawnmower Song)" and "No-one Loves Brisbane Like Jesus". At that time, he published his book, ''True Blue: Stories and Songs of Australia'', which contains the lyrics of his songs and explanations of their composition. Williamson was surprised at the book's launch by
Mike Munro Michael Kenneth Munro, (born 12 April 1953), is an Australian journalist and television presenter. Early life Munro cites a tough childhood—with an abusive and alcoholic mother—as one of the main reasons behind his motivation to succeed. ...
as part of the TV documentary series, '' This is Your Life''. He appeared on the series again in 2000 when Slim Dusty was the subject of an episode. At the Country Music Awards of Australia in January 1996, Williamson won 'Top Selling Album' for '' Mulga to Mangoes''. He released '' Family Album No.2'' in September 1996. In January the following year he was inducted to the Country Music Association of Australia's Roll of Renown. Williamson's thirteenth studio album ''
Pipe Dream Pipe dream may refer to: Music * ''Pipe Dream'' (John Williamson album), 1997, or the titular song * ''Pipedream'' (Alan Hull album), 1973 * ''Pipe Dreams'' (Murray Head album), 1995 * "Pipe Dreams" (Nelly Furtado song), 2016 * ''Pipe Dream ...
'' was released in August 1997 and peaked at No. 6. At the Country Music Awards of Australia for 1998 he won 'Top Selling Album' for ''Pipe Dream''. "
Sir Don Sir Don is a song written and recorded by Australian country singer John Williamson. The song is a tribute to Australian cricketer, Donald Bradman and $1 from each sale went towards the Bradman Museum. The song was released in June 1996 as t ...
", his tribute to cricketer Donald Bradman, is on the album. Williamson performed "
Raining on the Rock "Raining on the Rock" is a song written and performed by Australian singer-songwriter John Williamson (singer), John Williamson. The title is in reference to Uluru with references in the song to Albert Namatjira and Kata Tjuta, Kata Tjuta (The O ...
" as a duet with
Warren H Williams Warren Hedley Williams (born 27 December 1963) is an Aboriginal Australian singer, musician and songwriter from Hermannsburg in Central Australia. As of 2013 he worked as a broadcaster on CAAMA Radio in Alice Springs. Early life Williams was ...
. The following year, at the Australian Country Music Awards, the pair won 'Collaboration of the Year'. Williamson soon took part in his short-lived television series on the
Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...
called ''The Bush Telegraph''. Following this for a moderate period, Williamson continued touring Australia and was also releasing a series of compilations. In July 1999 his fourteenth studio album, ''
The Way It Is The Way It Is may refer to: Music * ''The Way It Is'' (Bruce Hornsby album), by Bruce Hornsby and the Range ** "The Way It Is" (Bruce Hornsby song), the title song * ''The Way It Is'' (Glenn Hughes album), or the title song * ''The Way It Is' ...
'' was released and peaked at No. 10, it went gold after eight weeks. At the end of 1999, he published his first calendar, by using photography from
Steve Parish Steve Parish OAM is a photographer and publisher. Born in Great Britain in 1945, he is the founder of Steve Parish Publishing, which specialised in creating and publishing photographic information books on nature for adults and children, as ...
.


2000s

At the Country Music Awards of Australia for 2000 John Williamson won 'Top Selling Album' for ''
The Way It Is The Way It Is may refer to: Music * ''The Way It Is'' (Bruce Hornsby album), by Bruce Hornsby and the Range ** "The Way It Is" (Bruce Hornsby song), the title song * ''The Way It Is'' (Glenn Hughes album), or the title song * ''The Way It Is' ...
'', 'Heritage Song of the Year' for "Campfire on the Road" and 'Bush Ballad of the Year' for "Three Sons". He released his next compilation album, '' Anthems – A Celebration of Australia'' in August 2000, which peaked at No. 16. A new single, "This Ancient Land", was recorded with country music veteran, Jimmy Little, for
Corroboree A corroboree is a generic word for a meeting of Australian Aboriginal peoples. It may be a sacred ceremony, a festive celebration, or of a warlike character. A word coined by the first British settlers in the Sydney area from a word in the l ...
that year. Other anthem tracks include "A Number on My Back" for the national
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
team,
Wallabies A wallaby () is a small or middle-sized macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom and other countries. They belong to the same taxonomic family as kangaroos and so ...
, and "The Baggy Green" with vocals by national cricket captain
Steve Waugh Stephen Rodger Waugh (born 2 June 1965) is an Australian former international cricketer and twin brother of cricketer Mark Waugh. A right-handed batsman, he was also a medium-pace bowler. As Australian captain from 1997 to 2004, he led Austral ...
. Also on the album are "Waltzing Matilda 2000" and a studio recording of "
Advance Australia Fair "Advance Australia Fair" is the national anthem of Australia. Written by Scottish people, Scottish-born composer Peter Dodds McCormick, the song was first performed in 1878, sung in Australia as a patriotic song. It first replaced "God Save the ...
" for the first time. He was invited to perform at the opening ceremony of the Sydney
2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...
. Williamson performed "
Sir Don Sir Don is a song written and recorded by Australian country singer John Williamson. The song is a tribute to Australian cricketer, Donald Bradman and $1 from each sale went towards the Bradman Museum. The song was released in June 1996 as t ...
" at Bradman's Memorial Service in Adelaide in 2001. The original scraps of paper he used to compose the track are displayed in the Bradman Museum,
Bowral Bowral () is the largest town in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, about ninety minutes southwest of Sydney. It is the main business and entertainment precinct of the Wingecarribee Shire and Highlands. Bowral once served ...
. He also represented Australia when performing at the Opening Ceremony of
Winterlude Winterlude is an annual winter festival held in Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec (collectively known as the National Capital Region). Winterlude is run by the Department of Canadian Heritage and was started in 1979. The event is one of O ...
in
Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
, Canada. In April 2002, Williamson released his fifteenth studio album, '' Gunyah'', which in the traditional Aboriginal language means 'home'. The opening track "Sing You the Outback" revealed how important the Australian
outback The Outback is a remote, vast, sparsely populated area of Australia. The Outback is more remote than the bush. While often envisaged as being arid, the Outback regions extend from the northern to southern Australian coastlines and encompass a n ...
has been in the past and how invaluable it will be into the future. The next two tracks, "Frangipani Bay" and "Cape York Peninsula", were written during a road trip to Australia's most northern point. The lyrics in "The Devil's Boots" relate to the bushranger,
Ned Kelly Edward Kelly (December 1854 – 11 November 1880) was an Australian bushranger, outlaw, gang leader and convicted police-murderer. One of the last bushrangers, he is known for wearing a suit of bulletproof armour during his final shootout wi ...
. "Buried in Her Bedclothes" was written after Williamson and Mary-Kay, his spouse of the time, met an elderly woman on an
Indian Pacific The ''Indian Pacific'' is a weekly experiential tourism passenger train service that runs in Australia's east–west rail corridor between Sydney, on the shore of the Pacific Ocean, and Perth, on the shore of the Indian Ocean – thus, like ...
rail trip. Her husband had died six months earlier and she had refused to get out of bed for three months. Her family suggested the train trip as a remedy – she shared her memories with the Williamsons and said that the train 'had done the job'. Williamson referred to 2003 as his 'most True Blue year ever'. He was elected President of the CMAA after Dusty retired. He then released the sequel to the 1995 compilation '' True Blue Two'', which reached No. 8. It featured his hit songs up to the '' Gunyah'' album and exclusively including five new tracks. On 12 October, Williamson was asked by the Prime Minister,
John Howard John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the s ...
, to perform "Waltzing Matilda" at the Memorial Service for the first Anniversary of the
2002 Bali bombings The 2002 Bali bombings occurred on 12 October 2002 in the tourist district of Kuta on the Indonesian island of Bali. The attack killed 202 people (including 88 Australians, 38 Indonesians, 23 Britons, and people of more than 20 other nationalit ...
. At the Country Music Awards of Australia for 2004 Williamson and
Sara Storer Sara Bettine Storer (born 6 October 1973) is an Australian country music singer-songwriter and former teacher. She won a record breaking seven Golden Guitar awards in the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January 2004, and as of 2017, she has w ...
won 'Vocal Collaboration of the Year' and 'Single of the Year' for "Raining on the Plains", and the track won 'Song of the Year' which was shared with Storer and her co-writers,
Garth Porter Garth Ivan Richard Porter (born 24 September 1948) is a New Zealand-born Australian multi-instrumental musician, songwriter and record producer. He was a member, on keyboards and backing vocals, of the pop group, Sherbet (1970–84), and co-wr ...
and Doug Storer. The track is on Storer's 2002 album, ''
Beautiful Circle ''Beautiful Circle'' is the second studio album by Australian country music singer Sara Storer. It was released in November 2002. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2003, the album was nominated for ARIA Award for Best Country Album, losing to ''Gold ...
''. With regard to new arrangements of John's songs, having recorded a cover version of Stan Coster's "Wobbly Boot Hotel" on '' Waratah St'' in 1991, he re-recorded it in 2004 as a duet with Coster's daughter Tracy on "Coster Country", her tribute album to him. 2005 was a productive year for John in terms of recording and touring; he re-recorded "Wrinkles" as a duet with John Stephan, issued a twenty-track compilation of Queensland-themed songs, called "From Bulldust to Bitumen", available only to RACQ members, and in August, '' Chandelier of Stars'' was released, which reached No. 11 on the ARIA Albums Chart. At the Country Music Awards of Australia for 2006 he won 'Album of the Year' and 'Top Selling Album' for ''Chandelier of Stars'', and the track "Bells in a Bushman's Ear" won 'Bush Ballad of the Year'. In discussing John's wife of the time, the opening track, "Little Girl from the Dryland", describes Mary-Kay and her childhood in Tulloona Bore, south of
Boggabilla Boggabilla is a small town in the far north of inland New South Wales, Australia in Moree Plains Shire. At the , the town had a population of 551, of which 63% identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. The name Boggabilla c ...
, from her point of view. "Chandelier of Stars" is a description of the night sky before sunrise. "Bells in a Bushman's Ear" is a tribute to Australia's country music forefathers, and "The Camel Boy" is about the life of indigenous artist,
Albert Namatjira Albert Namatjira (born Elea Namatjira; 28 July 1902 – 8 August 1959) was an Arrernte painter from the MacDonnell Ranges in Central Australia, widely considered one of the greatest and most influential Australian artists. As a pioneer of cont ...
, who is
Warren H Williams Warren Hedley Williams (born 27 December 1963) is an Aboriginal Australian singer, musician and songwriter from Hermannsburg in Central Australia. As of 2013 he worked as a broadcaster on CAAMA Radio in Alice Springs. Early life Williams was ...
' great uncle. "Keeper of the Stones", which first appeared on Williamson's live album and DVD of 2004, '' Mates on the Road'', was dedicated to indigenous Australians of The Stolen Generation. "Desert Child", another duet with Williams is a bush lullaby for Aboriginal children. Also on '' Chandelier of Stars'' is "A Country Balladeer" which is a duet with
Chad Morgan Chadwick William "Chad" Morgan OAM (born 11 February 1933) is an Australian country music singer and guitarist known for his vaudeville style of comic country and western songs, his prominent teeth and goofy stage persona. In reference to his ...
, and "Flower on the Water" is a tribute to the victims of the Bali bombings. The first four lines are inspired by words on a photo of a deceased victim: "To hear your voice, to see you smile / To sit and talk to you awhile / To be together the same old way / That would be our greatest wish today". Williamson found the author and started a friendship. The following November, Williamson released the new song "We Love This Country" on a compilation of the same name with his favourite holiday songs to promote Australian tourism with caravans – it became a jingle for
Jayco Jayco Inc., a subsidiary of Thor Industries, is an American manufacturer of recreation vehicles. The company manufactures fold-down, also called "Pop-up" Camping Trailers, Conventional Travel Trailers, Toy Haulers, Fifth-Wheel Travel Traile ...
commercials. He promoted the aforementioned projects of 2005 together with Pixie Jenkins and
Warren H. Williams Warren Hedley Williams (born 27 December 1963) is an Aboriginal Australian singer, musician and songwriter from Hermannsburg, Northern Territory, Hermannsburg in Central Australia. As of 2013 he worked as a Radio personality, broadcaster on Cent ...
as part of their True Blue Reunion Tour. In August 2006, '' The Platinum Collection'', a three-disc set of Williamson's hits from 1970 - 2005 was released. In September, Williamson was devastated after hearing of the death of fellow wildlife conservationist and friend,
Steve Irwin Stephen Robert Irwin (22 February 19624 September 2006), known as "The Crocodile Hunter", was an Australian zookeeper, conservationist, television personality, wildlife educator, and environmentalist. Irwin grew up around crocodiles and ot ...
. In reaction to the news, he wrote a tribute tune, "Wildlife Warriors: It's Time". He was evidently emotional while performing both " Home Among the Gum Trees" and "True Blue" at Irwin's memorial service inside the arena of his Australia Zoo Crocoseum. The service was filmed live-to-air and later released on DVD. '' Wildlife Warriors'' was additionally released in November 2006 on a compilation album of the same name, along with twelve of Williamson's favourite conservation awareness tracks and his two live performances from Irwin's memorial. At the beginning of 2008 Williamson decided to put together a musical. Based on his music and lyrics, the book by Simon Heath and directed by
Bernie Zelvis Bernie Zelvis is an Australian film and television director, best known for his work in youth and music television. He also provides teaching services at Sydney TAFE. Television Bernie started his directing career in Perth with Kids Co. & Th ...
, Williamson named it '' Quambatook – The Musical''. On 7 February 2008, the musical was premiered at the EVAN Theater in Penrith to positive reviews, making it a major highlight in the history of Australian musical theatre. The album '' Hillbilly Road'' was released in August 2008. The lyrics for the album were inspired by his home in
Springbrook Springbrook may refer to: Places Australia * Springbrook, Queensland ** Springbrook National Park, Queensland ** Springbrook State School, a heritage-listed building in the park ** Springbrook Road, a heritage-listed road Canada * Springbrook, ...
. Subsequent singles that followed were "Cydi", "Drink a Little Love", "Australia Is Another Word for Free" as a trio with Williams and
Amos Morris Amos Morris (born 1987/1988) is an Indigenous Australian country music bush balladeer from Kempsey, New South Wales. He won a Golden Guitar Award in 2008 for Bush Ballad of the Year, becoming the youngest ever winner of the category. He has perform ...
, and "Better Than a Picture". "The Joy Is in the Journey" was a special bonus addition to finish the album, previously appearing on the Quambatook Musical soundtrack. The '' Hillbilly Road'' album was promoted everywhere around Australia until early the next year when Williams decided to move on and pursue other musical projects, leaving Williamson to perform the rest of the tour solo. At the Country Music Awards of Australia for 2009 he won 'Bush Ballad of the Year' for "Australia Is Another Word for Free", performed by Williamson, Williams and Morris. By late 2009 Williamson got together with fellow country star
Adam Harvey Adam Harvey (born 21 December 1974) is an Australian country music singer. Harvey has sold over half a million records, has been nominated five times for an ARIA Music Award and has won nine golden guitars at the Country Music Awards of Aust ...
and recorded their cover to Roger Miller's " King of the Road", issued both as a single and on Harvey's duets album ''Both Sides Now''. Williamson then made his Carols By Candlelight debut at the
Sidney Myer Music Bowl The Sidney Myer Music Bowl is an outdoor bandshell performance venue in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is located in the lawns and gardens of Kings Domain on Linlithgow Avenue close to the Arts Centre and the Southbank entertainment precinct ...
.


2010s

On 26 January (
Australia Day Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port Ja ...
) 2010 Williamson released a new Australian anthem called "Island of Oceans" as a duet with
Shannon Noll Shannon Noll (born 16 September 1975) is an Australian singer-songwriter who first came to prominence as runner-up of the first season of ''Australian Idol'' in 2003, which led to him being signed to Sony BMG. He has released five top ten albu ...
. Williamson released a new double-CD compilation album '' Absolute Greatest: 40 Years True Blue'' commemorating this milestone. At a press conference for the album in Tamworth on 21 January hosted by the then
Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
Quentin Bryce Dame Quentin Alice Louise Bryce, (née Strachan; born 23 December 1942) is an Australian academic who served as the 25th governor-general of Australia from 2008 to 2014. She is the first woman to have held the position, and was previously the ...
, in his acceptance speech, John expressed his gratitude for the longevity of his career up to that point, in the process thanking his fans, friends and family, including his first wife, Mary-Kay. On 28 January 2011 Williamson released a recording of a concert with the
Sydney Symphony Orchestra The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra that was initially formed in 1908. Since its opening in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has been its home concert hall. Simone Young is the orchestra's chief conductor and firs ...
at the
Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...
. At the Australian Country Music Awards in Tamworth that same month John presented Jimmy Little with the Lifetime Achievement Award. In January 2012, Williamson released '' The Big Red''. The first two singles lifted from the work are "Hang My Hat in Queensland" and the title track. Early in 2013 "Prairie Hotel Parachilna" was released. In 2013, a new two-disc set of John's hits, ''
Hell of a Career ''Hell of a Career'' is a greatest hits album by Australian country music artist John Williamson. The album was released in July 2013 and peaked at number 24 on the ARIA charts The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, i ...
'' was released. In 2014, Williamson released his fiftieth album (including compilations) called '' Honest People'', as well as writing his
autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...
, issued by
Penguin Penguins (order (biology), order List of Sphenisciformes by population, Sphenisciformes , family (biology), family Spheniscidae ) are a group of Water bird, aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: on ...
. Both were released on 25 July 2014. As well as this, he made his debut as an exhibitionist painter. In 2014, it was announced by John via ''
A Current Affair ''A Current Affair'' may refer to: * ''A Current Affair'' (Australian TV program), 1971–present Australian current affairs program that airs on Nine Network * ''A Current Affair'' (American TV program), a 1986–1998 American television news ...
'' that he has been diagnosed with
prostate cancer Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that sur ...
. In April 2016, he released an EP called ''Looking for a Story'', a new ANZAC tribute and six other sets of previously issued lyrics. John released his twentieth studio album '' Butcherbird'' in August 2018.


2020s

In 2020, Williamson celebrated 50 years since the release of "Old Man Emu", by releasing a 25xCD single box set, featuring 50 tracks spanning his career. Williamson said "Putting together this collection gave me a chance to take stock of what I've achieved during my career... While I'm not looking to retire just yet, once I've completed my 2020 Winding Back Tour I'll be scaling down my live appearances. I've always loved the connection I receive when performing, so you'll still see me popping up at festivals and special events. ''Winding Back'' mainly means I'm looking forward to spending more time in the garden and less time away from home fiddling about with those hard to open motel soaps." ''JW 50 - Winding Back 1970-2020'' was released on 19 June 2020 and peaked at number 50 on the ARIA Charts.


Personal life

In the early 1970s John was living in
Leichhardt Leichhardt may refer to: * Division of Leichhardt, electoral District for the Australian House of Representatives * Leichhardt Highway, a highway of Queensland, Australia * Leichhardt Way, an Australian road route * Leichhardt, New South Wales, inn ...
and met Mary-Kay Price. Her parents had farmed on Tulloona Plain between Moree and
Goondiwindi Goondiwindi () is a rural town and locality in the Goondiwindi Region, Queensland, Australia. It is on the border of Queensland and New South Wales. In the , Goondiwindi had a population of 6,355 people. Geography Goondiwindi is on the MacInt ...
, and her father was a World War II soldier-settler. In 1973, Williamson married Mary-Kay on her parents' farm. The couple have two daughters, Ami and Georgie. Ami recalled " en Dad was away, he was really away". Over his career Williamson has written some love songs for Mary-Kay including "Little Girl from the Dryland". On 23 April 2007, after more than 30 years of marriage, Williamson and Mary-Kay divorced. Williamson admitted that he preferred
Springbrook Springbrook may refer to: Places Australia * Springbrook, Queensland ** Springbrook National Park, Queensland ** Springbrook State School, a heritage-listed building in the park ** Springbrook Road, a heritage-listed road Canada * Springbrook, ...
in south-east Queensland to unwind and get inspiration for new material. Following his marriage break-up, Williamson formed a relationship with a new partner, Meg Doyle, who organises some of his activities. The couple divide their time living together between Springbrook and their Sydney apartment and were married in March 2013. His daughter, Ami, is also a musician, who has toured with Williamson. In early 2008, she toured
Australian Defence Force The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Forc ...
bases in
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
and
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
to play to troops: she appeared on two episodes, "Show of Force", on ''
Australian Story ''Australian Story'' is a national weekly current affairs and documentary style television series which is broadcast on ABC Television. It is produced specifically by the ABC News and Current Affairs Department. The program first aired on 29 ...
'' (May 2008) describing the tour. Williamson also appeared on the same episodes he had advised his daughter "to sing stuff that's going to be good for the boys". Ami explained her motivation for going "I've got, you know, a history of entertainers in my family ... hohave performed for the military, my dad has, so I feel like I've taken the baton, which is cool". Williamson is a supporter and activist for Australia becoming a Republic, stating "I believe that those who cling to the Monarchy ..are no different ..from those who objected to the then proposed Federation .. In other words, there is no doubt in my mind that a Republic is inevitable .." His middle brother Robin died of cancer in 1999. The song "Salisbury Street" on Williamson's 2002 album "Gunyah" was dedicated to Robin. Salisbury Street was the location of their second home in Quambatook.


Criticism and controversy

"Call Me Blue" from the nineteenth album, '' Honest People'', was written in reaction to the
verbal abuse Verbal abuse (also known as verbal aggression, verbal attack, verbal violence, verbal assault, psychic aggression, or psychic violence) is a type of psychological/mental abuse that involves the use of oral, gestured, and written language direct ...
that Williamson received after resigning as president of the CMAA. He gave up the position of his own volition, unhappy with the "growing influence of American music".


Discography


Studio albums

* '' John Williamson'' (1970) * ''Comic Strip Cowboy'' (1976) * ''Road to Town'' (1978) * ''Fair Dinkum J.W.'' (1982) * '' Road Thru the Heart'' (1985) * '' Mallee Boy'' (1986) * '' Boomerang Café'' (1988) * ''
Warragul Warragul is a town in Victoria, Australia, south-east of Melbourne. Warragul lies between the Strzelecki Ranges to the south and the Mount Baw Baw Plateau of the Great Dividing Range to the north. As of the , the town had a population of 19,8 ...
'' (1989) * ''
JW's Family Album ''JW's Family Album'' is the ninth studio album by Australian country music artist John Williamson. The album was released in October 1990 and peaked at number 21 on the ARIA Charts and was certified platinum. It included a re-recording of Will ...
'' (1990) * '' Waratah St'' (1991) * '' Mulga to Mangoes'' (1994) * '' Family Album No.2'' (1996) * ''
Pipe Dream Pipe dream may refer to: Music * ''Pipe Dream'' (John Williamson album), 1997, or the titular song * ''Pipedream'' (Alan Hull album), 1973 * ''Pipe Dreams'' (Murray Head album), 1995 * "Pipe Dreams" (Nelly Furtado song), 2016 * ''Pipe Dream ...
'' (1997) * ''
The Way It Is The Way It Is may refer to: Music * ''The Way It Is'' (Bruce Hornsby album), by Bruce Hornsby and the Range ** "The Way It Is" (Bruce Hornsby song), the title song * ''The Way It Is'' (Glenn Hughes album), or the title song * ''The Way It Is' ...
'' (1999) * '' Gunyah'' (2002) * '' Chandelier of Stars'' (2005) * '' Hillbilly Road'' (2008) * '' The Big Red'' (2012) * '' Honest People'' (2014) * '' Butcherbird'' (2018)


Honours, awards and nominations

On Australia Day 1992 John Williamson was made a
Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...
(AM) with the citation: "for service to Australian country music and in stimulating awareness of conservation issues". In the 2006 book, ''1001 Australians You Should Know'',
music journalists Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
,
Toby Creswell Toby Creswell (born 21 May 1955) is an Australian music journalist and pop-culture writer. He was editor of ''Rolling Stone'' (Australia) and a founding editor of ''Juice''. In 1986, he co-wrote, with Martin Fabinyi, his first book, ''Too Much ...
and Samantha Chenoweth describe him as " e of the most popular songwriters in Australia ... has been a voice for the people of the bush and he has been a voice of dissent, openly criticising the woodchip industry". He is also a Protect Our Coral Sea Ambassador. In mid-2015, Williamson was nominated for the 2015 Sounds of Australia competition by veteran Australian TV presenter and journalist Steve Liebmann.


APRA Awards

These annual awards were established by
Australasian Performing Right Association APRA AMCOS consists of Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS), both copyright management organisations or copyright collectives which jointly represent over 100,000 songwr ...
(APRA) in 1982 to honour the achievements of songwriters and music composers, and to recognise their songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance, by its members annually. John Williamson has won three APRA Music Awards, in the allied categories 'Most Performed Australasian Country Work' and 'Most Performed Country Work'. , - , 1988 , , "True Blue" , , Most Performed Australasian Country Work , , , - , 1990 , , "
Rip Rip Woodchip "Rip Rip Woodchip" is a song by Australian country singer John Williamson. The song was released in August 1989 as the second single from Williamson's eighth studio album ''Warragul''. The song peaked at number 39 on the ARIA Charts. $1 from ea ...
" , , Most Performed Australasian Country Work , , , - , , 1995 , , "Tropical Fever" (John Williamson) , , Most Performed Country Work , ,


ARIA Awards

The
ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...
are presented annually from 1987 by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). John Williamson has won four awards from twelve nominations, including his induction into the
ARIA Hall of Fame In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...
on 27 October 2010. He has won the 'Best Country Album' category three times, including the inaugural award in 1987, from six nominations. , - , rowspan="2",
1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...
, , rowspan="2", ''Mallee Boy'' , ,
Best Country Album The Grammy Award for Best Country Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the country music genre. Honors ...
, , , - , , Best Indigenous Release , , , - , , 1989 , , ''Boomerang Cafe'' , , Best Country Album , , , - , rowspan="2",
1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...
, , rowspan="2", ''Warragul'' , , Best Country Album , , , - , , Best Adult Contemporary Album , , , - , ,
1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...
, , ''JW's Family Album'' , , Best Children's Album , , , - , rowspan="2",
1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
, , rowspan="2", ''Waratah St'' , , Best Country Album , , , - , , Best Adult Contemporary Album , , , - , ,
1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
, , ''Love Is a Good Woman'' , , Best Country Album , , , - , , 1996 , , ''True Blue – The Very Best of John Williamson'' , , Highest Selling Album , , , - , , 1998 , , "Raining on the Rock" (duet with
Warren H Williams Warren Hedley Williams (born 27 December 1963) is an Aboriginal Australian singer, musician and songwriter from Hermannsburg in Central Australia. As of 2013 he worked as a broadcaster on CAAMA Radio in Alice Springs. Early life Williams was ...
) , , Best Indigenous Release , , , - , ,
2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
, , ''The Way It Is'' , , Best Country Album , , , - , ,
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
, , John Williamson , ,
ARIA Hall of Fame In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...
, ,


CMAA Awards

These annual awards have been presented since 1973 and have been organised by
Country Music Association of Australia The Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA) is an association formed in 1992 that promotes and represents the Australian country music industry. As the peak national industry body, its activities include organisation, promotion and stagin ...
(CMAA) from 1993, to "encourage, promote and recognise excellence in Australian country music recording". From that time the recipient's trophy has been a
Golden Guitar The Big Golden Guitar is one of the many "big" attractions that can be found around Australia. Located in Tamworth, New South Wales, the monument is one of the best-known points of interest in New England. It is also a major attraction duri ...
. John Williamson has won twenty-seven Country Music Awards of Australia, including induction into their Roll of Renown in 1997. , - , 1985 , , "Queen in the Sport of Kings" , , Song of the Year , , , - , rowspan="2", 1986 , , ''Road thru the Heart'' , , Album of the Year , , , - , "You and My Guitar" , , Male Vocalist of the Year , , , - , rowspan="2", 1987 , , ''Mallee Boy'' , , Album of the Year , , , - , "True Blue" , , Male Vocalist of the Year , , , - , 1988 , , ''Mallee Boy'' , , Top Selling Album , , , - , rowspan="2", 1989 , , rowspan="2" , ''Boomerang Cafe'' , , Album of the Year , , , - , Top Selling Album , , , - , rowspan="3", 1990 , , rowspan="2" , ''Warragul'' , , Album of the Year , , , - , Top Selling Album , , , - , "Drover's Boy" , , Heritage Award , , , - , 1992 , , ''JW's Family Album'' , , Top Selling Album , , , - , 1995 , , "Tropical Fever" – directed by Mark Jago , , Video Track of the Year , , , - , 1996 , , ''Mulga to Mangoes'' , , Top Selling Album , , , - , 1997 , , John Williamson , , Roll of Renown , , , - , 1998 , , ''Pipe Dream'' , , Top Selling Album , , , - , rowspan="3", 2000 , , ''The Way It Is'' , , Top Selling Album of the Year , , , - , "Campfire on the Road" , , Heritage Song of the Year , , , - , "Three Sons" , , Bush Ballad of the Year , , , - , rowspan="3", 2004 , , rowspan="3", "Raining on the Plains" (duet with
Sara Storer Sara Bettine Storer (born 6 October 1973) is an Australian country music singer-songwriter and former teacher. She won a record breaking seven Golden Guitar awards in the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January 2004, and as of 2017, she has w ...
) , , Vocal Collaboration of the Year , , , - , Single of the Year , , , - , APRA Song of the Year , , , - , rowspan="3", 2006 , , rowspan="2", ''Chandelier of Stars'' , , Album of the Year , , , - , Top Selling Album of the Year , , , - , "Bells in a Bushman's Ear" , , Bush Ballad of the Year , , , - , 2009 , , "Australia Is Another Word for Free" (with
Warren H Williams Warren Hedley Williams (born 27 December 1963) is an Aboriginal Australian singer, musician and songwriter from Hermannsburg in Central Australia. As of 2013 he worked as a broadcaster on CAAMA Radio in Alice Springs. Early life Williams was ...
and
Amos Morris Amos Morris (born 1987/1988) is an Indigenous Australian country music bush balladeer from Kempsey, New South Wales. He won a Golden Guitar Award in 2008 for Bush Ballad of the Year, becoming the youngest ever winner of the category. He has perform ...
) , , Bush Ballad of the Year , , , - , 2014 , , "Pozie" (with Sara Storer) , , Vocal Collaboration of the Year , , , - , 2019 , , "Please Don't Forget Me" , , Bush Ballad of the Year , ,


Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the
Mo Awards The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards) were an annual Australian entertainment industry award, that where established in 1975, to recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia. They were l ...
), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Williamson won eight awards in that time. (wins only) , - , 1986 , John Williamson , Male Country Entertainer of the Year , , - , 1987 , John Williamson , Male Country Entertainer of the Year , , - , 1988 , John Williamson , Male Country Entertainer of the Year , , - , 1990 , John Williamson , Country Performer of the Year , , - , rowspan="3", 1991 , John Williamson , Country Performer of the Year , , - , John Williamson , Male Country Entertainer of the Year , , - , John Williamson , Most Success Attraction of the Year , , - , 1992 , John Williamson , Most Success Attraction of the Year , , -


Tamworth Songwriters Awards

The Tamworth Songwriters Association (TSA) is an annual songwriting contest for original country songs, awarded in January at the
Tamworth Country Music Festival The Tamworth Country Music Festival is an annual Australian music festival held for 10 days from Friday to Sunday in mid to late January each year, sometimes including Australia Day, in Tamworth, New South Wales. The festival is the second bigg ...
. They commenced in 1986. John Williamson has won eight awards. (wins only) , - , 1988 , "When We Were Kids" by John Williamson and
Allan Caswell David Allan Caswell, publishing under pen name Allan Caswell, is an English-Australian songwriter and performer, author, record producer, freelance journalist and teacher. Caswell wrote " On the Inside" (the theme from the television series ' ...
, Country Song of the Year , , - , 1992 , "Papa Whiskey November" by John Williamson , Country Song of the Year , , - , 1996 , "Bush Town (The Lawn Mower Song)" by John Williamson , Children's Song of the Year , , - , 1997 , "Kitchy Kitch Koo" by John Williamson , Children's Song of the Year , , - , 1998 , "Old Farts in a Caravan Park" by John Williamson , Comedy / Novelty Song of the Year , , - , rowspan="2", 2000 , rowspan="2", "Purple Roses" by John Williamson , Contemporary Song of the Year , , - , Country Song of the Year , , - , 2004 , John Williamson , Tex Morton Award , , -


Bibliography

John Williamson has written or co-written the following: * . * . * . * . * . * . * *


See also

* :John Williamson (singer) albums * :John Williamson (singer) songs *
John Farnham John Peter Farnham Officer of the Order of Australia, AO (born 1 July 1949) is a British born Australian singer. Farnham was a Teen idol, teen pop idol from 1967 until 1979, billed then as Johnny Farnham, but has since forged a career as an Adu ...


Notes


References


External links

*
John Williamson music video sample

Picture (716 x 757 pixels) of John Williamson

Audio interview with Williamson on Australian rugby
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williamson, John 1945 births Living people 20th-century guitarists 21st-century guitarists ARIA Award winners ARIA Hall of Fame inductees Australian country singer-songwriters Australian autobiographers Australian country singers Australian multi-instrumentalists Members of the Order of Australia Musicians from Victoria (Australia) People educated at Scotch College, Melbourne People from Kerang 20th-century Australian male singers 21st-century Australian male singers Australian male singer-songwriters