“ I’m from Coffs Harbour and I mainly come up here to Lismore for The Lismore Car boot Market. My daughter lives up here as well. I come up here to enjoy myself.
I lost my wife two and a half years ago so I started getting back into the music again. I play guitar and dulcimer. In the early days I travelled with Buddy Williams, did a couple of tours with Reg Lindsay. I did a big show in Adelaide town hall as the support artist with Smokey Dawson years ago.
After a few years I got out of it and took on a building trade, got married and settled down. When my wife passed away I thought, I’ve gotta do something so I got back into my music. I enjoy the dulcimer, it has a beautiful tone. The first one I had was 4 string but didn’t know how to tune it so I went to the library to find out but I still didn’t know how to play it. I started finding my own chords and that’s how it started.
I was married for 57 years. Im pushing 87 and I still like getting around. I not long got back from Bundaberg. I went to Gunnedah a few months back and I won the Walkups which is where anyone can get up and sing or play.
Back when we travelled with the shows we dressed in as good an outfit as we could afford, everybody did so when I got back into music I said to myself, I’m not going to wear a pair of torn jeans and a sweat shirt. I thought, I have all the gear here so I’m going to put it on. Make out that I look like I can sing even if I can’t. I’ve nearly sold out of all my CD’s here at at the market today.
I’m heading off again soon. I have a lot of country places picked out I want to go to and play my country music. I have a caravan which I pull around. I love travelling and I love meeting people. Not too sure where I’ll be next weekend.
Music is a wonderful thing. No matter where you go you can have it with you. We travelled around Australia and I took my guitar with me. We were way out in QLD somewhere at a little camp. There were about a dozen vans around. We’d just finished having our tea, camp fire’s burning and I’m sitting their playing guitar and this fella comes along with a saxophone and asked to join me. We started playing and singing old songs and the next thing everyone around brought their chairs down. I put the billy on for a cup of tea, next minute someones come with scones and cakes. We had a great night with them. Nobody knew anybody else but music brings people together.”