Australian folk singer-songwriter John Williamson is approaching his 56th year in the music business, and he recently revealed that it might be his last.
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Just yesterday, Williamson played his final set at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, where he's played since the early 1970s. Since then, he's only ever missed one single year. He tells ABC New England, "I was very much involved from the beginning. I was one of the five that started the Country Music Association of Australia, and I've been part of getting it back to belonging to the musicians themselves." He also mentioned it's nice to look back on his time with the festival, and think of "all the friends he's made."
Williamson revealed that, as he approaches his 80s, he feels he should step back from the stage. "I think it's good to pull out while I'm still doing good shows and I'm not having to read the lyrics or have monitors on the stage," he explained.
However, he's not totally giving up on the idea of doing music again. "We'll see how I feel afterwards," he shared. "But I mean, just about everybody that retires wants to come back and do it again." Also, A break from touring doesn't necessarily mean this veteran is hanging up his hat for good. Apparently, he's still writing and recording songs, according to the Canberra Theatre.
John Williamson Sings for Australia
Back in the 70s, it was actually John's connection to farming that got him into songwriting. While working on his family farm, John actually wrote his first song, "Old Man Emu". The tune was simply inspired by the birds he saw roaming around on the land. Then, Williamson was noticed while performing the song on New Faces, a popular TV talent show at the time. It was after that that he received a recording contract.
He says that in much of his songwriting, he takes inspiration from his home country, Australia, first and foremost. Although Williamson is often seen as an iconic folk singer, he doesn't really like to be labeled.
"I think the reason that there are things called 'folk songs' and 'country songs' is mainly for marketing reasons," he explained in an interview. "If I had my way, I wouldn't be pigeon-holed at all... the only way I can really, really be honest... is to say it's about Australia."
Right now, Williamson is playing on his 55 Years - My Travellin' Days are Done! Tour. His last performance is scheduled for June 8, 2026, in Queensland.
