Undoubtedly a country music legend, the legendary performer has been writing and recording new songs.
And he said he would bring some of them to the Deni Ute Muster crowd for this year’s iconic event.
While his schedule prevents him from driving his own ute to the festival this year, Williamson said he was still ready to get amongst it.
So what can we expect from him this year?
“The only thing that is completely different is that over COVID, and during the floods, I’ve written up to four songs. I’ll be putting at least three of those in the show,” he said.
“One’s called It’s Raining Again and another one is called Waiting For The Sun. They are two flood songs.
“Come Back To Me Country was another song I wrote when I was missing being able to get around.”
And it was not just the country that Williamson missed during the pandemic.
He said he was keen to chat backstage with the other muster performers too.
“I’m mainly looking forward to performing with my close friends who are on stage with me,” he said.
“Being in the music industry, it’s getting together all the people. There’s nothing more memorable than making people laugh and cry and have a good time out the front.
“Often it’s the only time I also get to catch up with people in the industry.
“My shows are really about reminding everyone in the audience how lucky we are to be born here, to be living here.
“I always get there early, change my strings and think about what the audience wants to hear that day.
“I don’t finalise my program until last minute really, just seeing what the audience is like.”
Mallee Boy is a song Williamson has used to describe the muster and himself in the past, saying it relates to being proud to be a country boy.
“That’s always my opening song because it’s saying I’m proud to be a country boy,” he said.
“I’m sure there’s plenty of country boys and girls out there that feel the same, and it’s a song for them.
“A lot of my songs are from being in the country. Three Sons is a perfect example of that — three sons on a cattle station in Alice Springs.”
Williamson might be on the road a lot of the time, including only recently returning from a Variety Bash, but said country Queensland was ‘home’.
“I overlook a beautiful valley; I can only see about three farm houses from here and all the rest is forest, really.
“I built a green house. I’m looking after a few cows I’ve got here to keep the grass down a bit.
“I built a chookyard, but I haven’t got chooks yet. I can’t have them until I actually retire, but at least I’ve got a place for them when I do.”
The Deni Ute Muster will be held this Friday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1. Tickets are on sale at deniutemuster.com.au
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