84 years young and back on stage

Singer-songwriter Louise Saint John could be found outside the Royal Hotel and up on stage during the Henry Lawson Festival doing what she does best, singing. A love of music has taken the 84-year-old around the world and this year she returned to the festival where she claimed the people's choice award. "I couldn't believe it, I'm over the moon. The first song I thought I had blown it but I got threw ok," Louise said. The long-time country music singer who now lives just outside Young brought decades of experience, award winning songs and memories of Nashville's country music scene to the streets of Grenfell. Originally from Scotland, Louise spent much of her life in nearby Binalong before moving to Young in 2018. Music has been part of her life since childhood. "I've been singing since I was seven years old," Louise said. After turning professional in 1977, Louise built a career that would eventually take her to Nashville and New Zealand. In 1991, after responding to an advertisement in Country Capital News she secured a recording contract in the United State and travelled to Nashville to record her album, From Nashville to Australia. Between 1996 and 2007 Louise received multiple entertainment awards in Nashville including honours for Female Country Vocalist, Australian Female Vocalist, Legendary Female Australian Entertainer and International Country Artist. One of her proudest achievements came from a song she wrote in 1989 called Heavenly Eyes. The song, written after a simple drive home with her late husband Denis, went on to win three awards in Nashville after being recorded in 2002. "I wrote it in about 10 minutes on the back of a cardboard Jaffa packet." Closer to home Louise also won the songwriting award at the Grenfell Henry Lawson Festival of the Arts in 1978 with her song Country Women of Australia written about the Country Women's Association. Over the years she has performed in Tamworth, toured New Zealand, appeared on television programs including Pot of Gold and New Faces and shared stages with country music identities including Lindsay Butler, Shaza Leigh and Jade Hurley. Her Nashville adventures also brought her into contact with some of country music's biggest names. "I met Johnny Cash, Hank Snow and Ricky Skaggs." Despite her success she has also overcome her fair share of challenges selling everything she owned to make her dreams a reality and putting her music career on hold while she cared for her late husband. More recently she face another challenge when a serious throat condition left her unsure if she would ever sing again. "Two years ago they didn't think I'd sing again," Louise said. "But I've got my voice back now and I'm in top form." Now semi-retired Louise is gradually returning to performing. At the Henry Lawson Festival she wowed the crowd with her voice and by her side was Denis supporting her after they found each other after both losing their partners to dementia. While she admits she is no longer focused on winning competitions she is just happy to be singing again. "I went out there and had fun." Louise performs a mix of country music, 1950s and 1960s classics and ballads and says she still enjoys every moment she spends on stage. "I was told I wouldn't amount to much, but I battled through and got there," Louise added.