Country, folk legend John Williamson returns to Toowoomba

His music is considered quintessentially Australian — now country and folk singer-songwriter John Williamson is returning to Toowoomba as part of tour that might be his last of this size.

Country singer-songwriter John Williamson. Photography: Russell Shakespeare

John Williamson remains bemused how people will still misinterpret one of his most famous lyrics, decades after he stopped singing it.

The legendary singer-songwriter, who is returning to Toowoomba next month as part of an enormous national tour, recalls the time when his patriotic classic True Blue was used in the 1986 Australian Made campaign.

At this point, he hadn’t replaced the line “or just Vegemite?” with “or he/she’ll be right”, but he would do so later out of fear the song would be commercialised.

Williamson said the Vegemite lyric, and the song itself, has been confused as a jingoistic anthem when it was actually a thoughtful examination of national identity.

What kicked True Blue off was the Buy Australian program (but) there’s a lot more to a country than a jar of spread,” he said.

“It’s a question — I think there’s a lot more to us than that or a cockatoo.”

Nearing his 51st year as a touring artist, 75-year-old Williamson said he was enjoying a renewed vigour for playing live at least in part due to the shutdown of the music industry last year because of COVID-19.

“It’s going to be running all year, because I had to push things back, I couldn’t tell you how many gigs there are,” he said.

“After having 11 months off, I’m enjoying it well and truly.

“The old brain gets a bit lazier, but right now it’s firing on all cylinders — if I bugger up a song, everyone gets a laugh.”

Williamson said the audiences could expect all the classics over a 35-song, two-set evening, with a few local tunes sprinkled in.

“Half the songs I have to do, but when you do two halves, it gives me plenty of room to do the ones related to the area I’m in,” he said.

“I‘ve got stacks of Queensland songs — there’s one called a Queensland Bungalow, and it was about drinking with a bunch of boys at Ayr.”

While he’s certainly winding down from all-year touring, Williamson flatly denies he’s close to retiring yet.

“If it was my last tour I would’ve said it,” he scoffed.

“As long as I’m happy with my performance I’ll keep going.

“If I’ve got to have lyric monitors like Frank Sinatra, I’ll pull out before that point.”

John Williamson will play the Empire Theatre on April 11.

To book tickets, head to empiretheatre.com.au.