Warren H Williams facts for kids

Warren Hedley Williams was born on December 27, 1963. He is an Aboriginal Australian singer, musician, and songwriter. Warren comes from Ntaria in Central Australia. As of 2013, he also worked as a broadcaster for CAAMA Radio in Alice Springs.

Early Life

Warren Williams was born in Hermannsburg. His father, Gus Williams, was also a country musician. Warren is an Arrernte man, which is an Indigenous Australian group.

He started playing the guitar when he was only six years old. He learned from his father. Later, he went to a Lutheran college in Adelaide, called Immanuel College.

Music Career

In 1999, Warren Williams was part of a special music album. This album was made to help bring people together in Australia. It was called Reconciliation: Stories of the Heart, Sounds of the Rock. The album had music, stories from famous people, and parts of important speeches.

In 2007, Warren wrote a musical play called Magic Coolamon. This was the first ever Indigenous musical from Central Australia.

Warren has toured many times with famous Australian singer John Williamson. One of their tours was "Hillbilly Road" in 2008.

In 2015, Warren invited his friend, singer Shane Nicholson, to visit his hometown of Hermannsburg (Ntaria). Warren wanted to help Shane with his "writer's block," which is when a writer can't think of new ideas. Warren showed Shane sacred places and shared Dreaming stories. These stories inspired Shane's album Hell Breaks Loose, which was nominated for an ARIA Award. The album even has a song called 'Hermannsburg'.

In 2016, Warren worked with a new artist named Dani Young. They wrote and recorded an album of traditional country songs in Nashville. The album, called Desert Water, was produced by Billy Yates. It also featured Jim Lauderdale. The album came out on July 22, 2016. It quickly reached #2 on the ARIA Country albums charts. Their first song, "Two Ships," was #1 on Tamworth Country Radio for six weeks.

Radio and Television Career

In 1996, Warren Williams became the first remote Indigenous broadcaster (RIBS) on the 8KIN FM radio network. He hosted music shows live from Hermannsburg. He has worked at CAAMA Radio longer than anyone else. As of 2015, he hosted the mid-morning show on weekdays. He also hosted the 80s Mix, Rockn, and the very popular Strictly Country programs. His shows are also played across Australia through the National Indigenous Radio Service.

In 2015, Warren also started directing for television. He wrote and co-directed for an Aboriginal TV series called Our Place for ICTV.

Politics

Warren Williams has also been involved in politics. He was the main candidate for the Australian Greens party. He ran for the two Northern Territory seats in the Australian Senate in both the 2010 and 2013 federal elections.

In the 2012 Northern Territory election, he ran for Australia's First Nations Political Party. He stood for the Namatjira seat.

Discography

Warren Williams has released many albums. Here are some of them:

Awards and Recognition

In 2004, a TV show called Nganampa Anwernekenhe featured Warren Williams.

In 2009, he was added to the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame. His father, Gus, was also added in 2000.

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (AIR Awards) celebrate the best independent music in Australia.

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are a big yearly event that celebrates great Australian music.

Australia Council for the Arts

The Australia Council for the Arts helps fund and advise on arts in Australia. Since 1993, they have given out the Red Ochre Award. This award honors an amazing Indigenous Australian artist for their lifetime achievements.

Country Music Awards (CMAA)

The Country Music Awards of Australia (CMAA), also known as the Golden Guitar Awards, are held every January. They celebrate the best in Australian country music.

Deadly Awards

The Deadly Awards were a yearly event that celebrated the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in music, sports, and entertainment. They ran from 1996 to 2013.

National Indigenous Music Awards

The National Indigenous Music Awards celebrate the best Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians in Australia. They started in 2004.