John's first cousin, Vic Stanley, showed John at an early age that a world of incredible music existed outside his local radio dial. Listening to Vic's extensive collection of LP's, 45's, 8-tracks and cassettes helped a younger John form his diverse musical tastes. Vic now owns the famous Hummingbird Stage and Taprooom in Macon, Georgia and is single-handedly reviving the legendary Macon music scene. www.hummingbirdstageandtaproom.com
Sounds Like
"This album reminds me a lot of Rodney Crowell's "Houston Kid", in that it is hard to pick where the truth starts and the fiction ends. It is a wonderful album." – Steve Reid, Yesterday and Today Records - Sydney, Australia
"...there's a definite Texas country-folk flavour in the classic Nashville mix. Melodic drinking, cheating and rambling songs. What's not to like?" – Amanda Rose, HickoryWind.org
He's been called country music's Jim Croce, a vagabond singer-songwriter with deep roots and an even deeper heart. Comparisons range from Hank Williams to Don Williams, from Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan and Iris Dement. One fan described him as "truth...on a tractor." He draws material from his down-home experiences growing up in the deep South, and from his travels across the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains of the American West. He attributes his raw, straight-ahead style to his songwriting heroes: Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark and Billy Joe Shaver, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and John Prine, Kris Kristofferson and Chris Knight. Paul Sanford referred to him as "the finest Texas songwriter the state of Georgia's ever produced." One thing's for sure: he's not somebody you're soon going to forget. And since he arrived in Nashville, country music's only gotten better.
Born and raised in the small farming community of Vidalia, Georgia, John Williamson knows what real country music is all about. In one way or another, he's lived out the lyrics to every song he's ever written. Growing up in a farming family, John learned early about hard work, strong love, and the music that serves as a backdrop for everday life. By the time he started first grade John knew Willie Nelson's "Red Headed Stranger Medley" by heart. Eight track tapes and vinyl records littered the floor of his bedroom and John spent hours in his own little world, headphones dwarfing his five-year-old ears. He sent in a penny with an ad he cut out of the newspaper, and soon thereafter his first Waylon Jennings album arrived in the mail. Subsequent albums (and accompanying invoices) cut his first record club membership short, but John was hooked on country music for good. From Ralph Emery's four-in-the-morning radio show to Saturday night's Grand Ole Opry, John immersed himself in the music he had come to love.
He’s the guy at the bar with a smile on his face. He’s also the shy, quiet presence down by the river, watching the setting sun. He’s on a tractor, a ladder, a horse, and a front porch swing. He’s a carpenter, a farmer, an outdoorsman, a traveler. But most of all, John Williamson is a songwriter whose lyrical and musical highway leads straight to your heart.
Thanks very much for your friendship John, enjoyed listening to your songs.
Check our Blogs for examples of student projects, poems and essays inspired by songs.
Please leave us a comment when you can...a favorite quote, or some general advice for young learners.
All the best! John
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”
I uploaded a brand new song and lyric sheet today. Perhaps my best work to date. Musically dynamic, a powerful story, with a catchy hook. “Take good care of my girl” features Cody Gibson on lead vocal. Everything else is just lil’ ol’ me in my home studio. You might be impressed. Stop by and give it a quick listen and please, let me know what you think! Thanks in advance for listening!
Hey John! I threw an xmas song up on my page. its my present. the kids'll be fun this year! everyone's starting to bug us about when we're gonna have another! geez luiz.