John Williamson

While not well-known outside of his homeland, award-winning singer, songwriter, and musician John Williamson AM – born in Kerang, Victoria, Australia on November 1, 1945 – is one of the best-loved country and folk artists Down Under. His first single, “Old Man Emu”, was a big hit in Australia, climbing to the Number 4 position on the singles chart. During the course of his career, he issued over 50 albums – including compilations and live releases – and sold in excess of four million copies in Australia. He has also released several best-selling DVDs and lyric books. John Williamson AM has won many awards over the years including over two dozen Golden Guitar Awards from the Country Music Awards of Australia, three APRA Awards – including Most Performed Australasian Country Work for “True Blue” (1988) and “Rip Rip Woodchip” (1990) – and three ARIA Awards. His most popular hits include the previously mentioned “Old Man Emu” and “True Blue” plus “Mallee Boy” and many others. John Williamson was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) on Australia Day in 1992. His Australian Top 20 albums including Mallee Boy (1986), Warragul (1989), Pipe Dream (1997), Hillbilly Road (2008) and Butcherbird (2018).