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John Williamson > M

John Robert Williamson AM (born 1 November 1945 in Kerang, Victoria) is an Australian country music singer-songwriter. Williamson has released over forty albums, ten videos, five DVDs, and two lyric books. His top 10 albums on the ARIA Charts are Mallee Boy (1986), Boomerang Cafe (1988), Warrigal (No. 1, 1989), Pipe Dream (1997), The Way It Is (1999), True Blue Two (compilation, 2003) and Hillbilly Road (2008). On Australia Day (26 January) 1992 ... Williamson was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) with the citation: "for service to Australian country music and in stimulating awareness of conservation issues". He has received twenty-six Golden Guitar trophies at the Country Music Awards of Australia, he has won three ARIA Music Awards for Best Country Album and, in 2010, was inducted into the related Hall of Fame. Williamson has also featured in a number of television series as well as This is Your Life. Many of his albums have gone gold and platinum and continue to do so. He has sold more than 4,000,000 albums in Australia alone. In 1970 Williamson's first song, "Old Man Emu", went to No. 3 and was given a gold certification. Another popular single, "Mallee Boy", became triple-platinum. Music journalists, Toby Creswell and Samantha Chenoweth describe him as "one of the most popular songwriters in Australia ... he has been a voice for the people of the bush and he has been a voice of dissent, openly criticising the woodchip industry" in their 2006 book, 1001 Australians You Should Know. Early life: John Robert Williamson was born on 1 November 1945 at Kerang 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 were both amateur performing artists: singing in local Gilbert and Sullivan productions. Williamson is the oldest of five sons with Robin as the third oldest. 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 and Rolf Harris, which provided elements for his first hit. From the age of 7 he learned to play the ukulele from his father, at 12 he proceeded 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 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", and early the following year he performed the track on TV talent quest, New Faces, 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 owner and New Faces 's judge, Ron Tudor. In May "Old Man Emu" was released as a single on Tudor's label, which peaked at No. 3 on the Go-Set 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" was issued in November. It was pressed with its A and B sides reversed. 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. 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 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, 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 jingles for Laws' morning show on 2UE, and his final jingle was "Hey good on ya Lawsie, you pulled the plug at last". 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 ANZACs, "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, which was inspired by the movie, Breaker Morant (1980) (which had Tingwell as a supporting actor). "The Breaker" enabled Williamson to cast off the "Old Man Emu" novelty tag and "his 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 live album, Singing in the Suburbs. From that year until 2000 he performed some of his comical songs by impersonating either Chad Morgan or Merv Currawong. Following the success of Singing in the Suburbs he issued another live album, The Smell of Gum Leaves, in the next year. 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'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 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, which sold well as did its first single, "You and My Guitar". In early 1986, Williamson released another compilation, All the Best, Vol. 1. This 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" - highlighting the comic koala 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. 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 Albums Chart. 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, 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), "Raining on the Rock" (see Uluru) and "Cootamundra Wattle" (see Acacia baileyana). The album had a re-recorded version of "True Blue" which was released as a single in December. 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. To support Mallee Boy Williamson performed his concerts in a camp fire 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 next album, Boomerang Cafe, which peaked at No. 22 on the ARIA Albums Chart. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1989, Boomerang Cafe 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 Cafe. 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. Williamson performed at the opening of the New Parliament House. In October 1989, he issued Warragul (meaning dingo in the Wiradjuri language), which became his first number-one album the following month. That same year Variety Club 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, 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 J.W.'s Family Album 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 of the following year his next album, Waratah St., was issued, 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 J.W.'s Family Album. Late in 1991 he combined with other country musicians, Slim Dusty, Joy McKean, Phil Matthews and Max Ellis to organise the founding of the Country Music Association of Australia (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 issued in October, which peaked in the top 20. 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, Williamson wrote "Sydney 2000" and was invited to perform it on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. 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 (25th Anniversary), 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 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 his second family album before Christmas that year. In January the following year he was inducted to the Country Music Association of Australia's Roll of Renown. His next album Pipe Dream followed in August, which peaked at No. 6. At the Country Music Awards of Australia for 1998 he won 'Top Selling Album' for Pipe Dream. "Sir Don", his tribute to cricketer Donald Bradman, is on the album. Williamson performed "Raining on the Rock" as a duet with Warren H Williams. 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 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 album, The Way It Is, appeared, which reached No. 10, it went gold after eight weeks. By the end of the decade Williamson became better known in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand. Also in 1999, he published his first calendar, by using photography from Steve Parish. 2000s: At the Country Music Awards of Australia for 2000 John Williamson won 'Top Selling Album' for 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 September 2000, which peaked at No. 16. A new single, "This Ancient Land", was recorded with country music veteran, Jimmy Little, for Corroboree that year. Other anthem tracks include "A Number on My Back" for the national rugby union team, Wallabies, and "The Baggy Green" with vocals by national cricket captain Steve Waugh. Also on the album are "Waltzing Matilda 2000" and a studio recording of "Advance Australia Fair" for the first time. He was invited to perform at the opening ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Other performers were Nikki Webster, Yothu Yindi, Human Nature, Julie Anthony, John Farnham, Olivia Newton-John, Vanessa Amorosi and Tina Arena. Williamson performed "Sir Don" 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. He also represented Australia when performing at the Opening Ceremony of Winterlude in Ottawa, Canada. The following year he put out his next studio album, Gunyah, which in the traditional Aboriginal language means 'home'. The opening track "Sing You the Outback" revealed how important the Australian outback 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. "Buried in Her Bedclothes" was written after Williamson and Mary-Kay met an elderly woman on an Indian Pacific 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 - The Very Best of 25 Years, as True Blue Two, which reached No. 14. It featured his hit songs up to the Gunyah album and exclusively including five new tracks. Williamson recorded a twenty-first anniversary version of "True Blue" with an orchestra and choir, as well as one line of the original chorus being changed from "or just Vegemite" to "or will she be right" - as Vegemite was never Australian-owned. Other new tracks are "You Are Very Welcome", "Keep Australia Beautiful", "The Easter Bilby" (only available on the accompanying DVD) and a duet with Sara Storer, "Raining on the Plains". On 12 October that year Williamson was asked by the Prime Minister, John Howard, to perform "Waltzing Matilda" at the Memorial Service for the first Anniversary of the 2002 Bali bombings. At the Country Music Awards of Australia for 2004 Williamson and Storer 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 and Doug Storer. The track is on Storer's 2002 album, Beautiful Circle. Williamson recorded a cover version of Stan Coster's "Wobbly Boot Hotel" on Waratah St., he re-recorded it as a duet with Coster's daughter Tracy. The following year, Williamson re-recorded "Wrinkles" as a duet with John Stephan. In August 2005 Williamson issued Chandelier of Stars, 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'. The opening track "Little Girl from the Dryland" describes Mary-Kay and her childhood in Tulloona Bore, south of Boggabilla, 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, who is Warren H Williams' great uncle. "Keeper of the Stones" which appeared on Williamson's live album, Mates on the Road (2003), 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, 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 commercials. In September 2006, Williamson was devastated after hearing of the death of fellow wild-life conservation pioneer, Steve Irwin. He wrote a tribute, "Wildlife Warriors: It's Time". Fans regard it as the 'angriest' song he had ever written. He performed both "Home Among the Gum Trees" and "True Blue" at Irwin's memorial service at the latter's Australia Zoo Crocoseum. The service was filmed and later released on DVD. "Wildlife Warriors: It's Time" was later released on a compilation album of the same name. In addition that album included Williamson's favourite conservation awareness tracks as well as his 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, Williamson named it Quambatook - The Musical. Produced by the Fair Dinkum Road Co., the cast included Darren Coggan, Belinda Wollaston, Josh Russell, Shardyn Fahey-Leigh, Benson Anthony, Makirum Fahey-Leigh, Reg Poole, Nicole Nicholas, Angelika Purves, Katie Ditchburn, Jennifer Reed, Alistair Toogood, Warren H Williams, Williamson's daughter Ami and Williamson himself. 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 mid-August 2008. The lyrics for the album were inspired by his home in 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, 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 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. 2010s: On 26 January (Australia Day) 2010 Williamson released a new Australian anthem called "Island of Oceans" as a duet with Shannon Noll. 2010 also marked Williamson's fortieth year in the Australian music industry. A new compilation album The Absolute Best of John Williamson: 40 Years True Blue commemorating this milestone was released on 19 March. A solo version of "Island of Oceans" is the only new track available on this set, plus three live orchestral versions of numbers from The Big Red, namely "Hang My Hat in Queensland", "Prairie Hotel Parachilna" and "Rescue Me". The second disc of the album features covers of Williamson's songs from thirteen Australian singers including Wendy Matthews, Troy Cassar-Daley and The Ordinary Fear of God. On 28 January 2011 Williamson released a recording of a concert with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House. At the Australian Country Music Awards in Tamworth that same month John presented Jimmy Little with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Due to ever increasing requests the Anthems album was back in production. On Australia Day (26 January) 2012, two years since the launch of Island of Oceans, the new studio album called The Big Red was released. The first two singles lifted from the work are "Hang My Hat in Queensland" and the title track. Early the next year the official video to "Prairie Hotel Parachilna" was released. Albums on vinyl were phased out in Australia by the time of Waratah St., but however due to the success of The Big Red the album is currently also available only through John's website on this format as a limited edition. At the request from John's manager to Warner Music Australia a total of five-hundred copies went to print. John was invited by Kenny Rogers to appear with him for two nights worth of shows at Sydney's State Theatre on Wednesday 15 August and Thursday 16. In early 2014, Williamson announced that he was in the process of recording his fiftieth album (including compilations) called Honest People, as well as writing his autobiography, issued by Penguin. Both were released on 25 July 2014, at the same time. As well as this, he made his debut as an exhibitionist painter. Fans also allegedly heard that John was retiring, but to date, this rumour remains unfounded. Unfortunately though, as it got closer to the release dates for Honest People and the autobiography, it was announced by John via A Current Affair that he's been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Honours, awards and nominations: On Australia Day 1992 John Williamson was made a Member of the Order of Australia (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, Toby Creswell and Samantha Chenoweth describe him as "one of the most popular songwriters in Australia ... he 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. APRA Awards: These annual awards were established by Australasian Performing Right Association (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'. Year Recipient Award Result 1988 "True Blue" Most Performed Australasian Country Work Won 1990 "Rip Rip Woodchip" Most Performed Australasian Country Work Won 1995 "Tropical Fever" (John Williamson) Most Performed Country Work Won ARIA Awards: The ARIA Music Awards are presented annually from 1987 by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). John Williamson has won four awards from ten nominations, including his induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame on 27 October 2010. He has won the 'Best Country Album' category three times, including the inaugural award in 1987, from six nominations. Year Recipient Award Result 1987 Mallee Boy Best Country Album Won 1989 Boomerang Cafe Best Country Album Won 1990 Warragul Best Country Album Won 1992 Waratah St Best Country Album Nominated Best Adult Contemporary Album Nominated 1994 Love Is a Good Woman Best Country Album Nominated 1996 True Blue Top Selling Album Nominated 1998 "Raining on the Rock" (duet with Warren H Williams) Best Indigenous Release Nominated 2000 The Way It Is Best Country Album Nominated 2010 John Williamson ARIA Hall of Fame Inductee CMAA Awards: These annual awards have been presented since 1973 and have been organised by Country Music Association of Australia (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. John Williamson has won twenty-six Country Music Awards of Australia, including induction into their Roll of Renown in 1997. Year Recipient Award Result 1985 "Queen in the Sport of Kings" Song of the Year Won 1986 Road thru the Heart Album of the Year Won "You and My Guitar" Male Vocalist of the Year Won 1987 Mallee Boy Album of the Year Won "True Blue" Male Vocalist of the Year Won 1988 Mallee Boy Top Selling Album Won 1989 Boomerang Cafe Album of the Year Won Top Selling Album Won 1990 Warragul Album of the Year Won Top Selling Album Won "Drover's Boy" Heritage Award Won 1992 JW's Family Album Top Selling Album Won 1995 "Tropical Fever" - directed by Mark Jago Video Track of the Year Won 1996 Mulga to Mangoes Top Selling Album Won 1997 John Williamson Roll of Renown Inductee 1998 Pipe Dream Top Selling Album Won 2000 The Way It Is Top Selling Album of the Year Won "Campfire on the Road" Heritage Song of the Year Won "Three Sons" Bush Ballad of the Year Won 2004 "Raining on the Plains" (duet with Sara Storer) Vocal Collaboration of the Year Won Single of the Year Won APRA Song of the Year Won 2006 Chandelier of Stars Album of the Year Won Top Selling Album of the Year Won "Bells in a Bushman's Ear" Bush Ballad of the Year Won 2009 "Australia Is Another Word for Free" (trio with Warren H Williams and Amos Morris) Bush Ballad of the Year Won Personal life: In the early 1970s John Williamson was living in Leichhardt and met Mary-Kay Price. Her parents had farmed on Tulloona Plain between Moree and Goondiwindi, 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 "when 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 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 live in Springbrook or their Sydney apartment and wed in March 2013. His daughter, Ami, is also a musician, who has toured with Williamson. In early 2008, she toured Australian Defence Force bases in Iraq and Afghanistan to play to troops: she appeared on two episodes, "Show of Force", on Australian Story (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 ... who have performed for the military, my dad has, so I feel like I've taken the baton, which is cool". Williamson has stated in interviews that he does not like cats because of their lazy, selfish and sometimes destructive behaviour. "Bill the Cat" from Warragul is a humorous presentation of a serious message that points out the damage that feral cats do to wildlife. His middle brother Robin died of cancer in 1999. Williamson's 2002 album "Gunyah", in particular the track "Salisbury Street", was dedicated to Robin. Salisbury Street was the location of their second home in Quambatook. Criticism and controversy: Not all of his songs were universally popular, for a variety of reasons. At the peak of Williamson's career in 1983, "The Vasectomy Song" was banned from radio airplay because radio stations regarded its lyrics as too risqué, but despite this it was popular. The song recounts the fictional story of his having a vasectomy and then subsequently being arrested for obscene behaviour after being stopped by the police for speeding and asked to submit to a breath test. The song's humour is based on use of the term "blow into the bag" to refer to both the supply of a sample to test the success of the vasectomy and the use of the breathalyser. One song on the Warragul album "Rip Rip Woodchip" helped raise awareness and money to provide protection for Australia's forestland but it provoked an angry reaction from loggers and lumberjacks who accused John of trying to kill off their livelihood, causing threats to sue him and cut his career short. The situation came to a climax when Williamson was asked to perform the song for the Rugby League Grand Final at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He however protected his right to voice his opinion politically, and was quoted as saying on the back cover of the song's 7" single, "Yesterday was the right time to stop the wholesale slaughter of our forests, flora and fauna. Every load of woodchip from our ancient and rare forests is stained with the blood of unique parrots and of marsupials such as koalas and rare possums. We are rapidly losing the very thing that makes me feel very fortunate to live in Australia." "A Flag of Our Own" from the Waratah St. album failed to find favour with a few country RSL clubs. Since the early 1980s Williamson wanted to express in song that Australia needed its own flag minus the Royal Union Flag. He received support from many people about the matter including ANZAC diggers who said they fought for Australia, not the flag. Regardless, Williamson was banned from a string of RSL clubs upon performing the song. Fans who bought Hillbilly Road criticised two songs on the album, "Beach of Love" and "Tomorrow's Worries", both in which the word sexy appeared but Williamson defended his right for "freedom of creative speech". However the album was still well received and hit No.1 on the Australian country charts. "Call Me Blue" from the fiftieth album, Honest People was written in reaction to the verbal abuse 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". In another song from the same album, called "It's All About Love", Williamson expresses his support for the controversial idea of same-sex marriage; he recorded it as a duet it with fellow country singer/songwriter Beccy Cole who, two years earlier, caused considerable controversy by coming out as a lesbian. While "Rip Rip Woodchip" and "A Flag of Our Own" upset a few people, both songs were causes that Williamson felt passionate about and today he continues to promote them, always allowing people to discuss with him the pros and cons about the issue. Bibliography: John Williamson has written or co-written the following: Valentine, Garrison; Williamson, John; Singleton, Glen (1995). The Golden Kangaroo. illustrated by Glen Singleton. Sydney: Scholastic. ISBN 186388243X. , Williamson, John (1995). True Blue: Stories and Songs of Australia. Pymble, NSW: Angus & Robertson. ISBN 0207189102. , Williamson, John (1997). Old Man Emu. illustrated by Rolf Harris. Pymble, NSW: HarperCollins. ISBN 0207191352. , Williamson, John (1998). John Williamson's Christmas in Australia. illustrated by Glen Singleton. Sydney: Scholastic Australia. ISBN 186388999X. , Williamson, John (2000). Anthems: A Celebration of Australia. London: Wise Publications. ISBN 1876871121. , Williamson, John (2003). True Blue Two: More Stories and Songs of Australia. Sydney: HarperCollins. ISBN 0732278767. , Williamson, John (2014). Hey True Blue. Melbourne: Penguin Australia. ISBN 9781921901744. , Williamson, John (2014). John Williamson's Christmas in Australia. illustrated by Mitch Vane. Melbourne: Penguin Australia. ISBN 9780670077724. See more [+]