Tamworth Country Music Festival 2023: Peter Smokie Dawson pays it forward by giving away instruments

Everyone's entitled to three songs and 15 minutes, and those that are more professional, get half an hour to 45 minutes.

Musician Peter Smokie Dawson believes the history of Australian country music should be kept alive, and it's capital has a big part to play.

"Something started here in Tamworth, back in the early days that I value, and I know a lot of people just love coming to Tamworth," he said.

"Let's keep it lively, and keep it active, and encourage everyone to have a go."

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Mr Dawson pays it forward by giving away instruments to young people every year.

On Thursday, January 19, he gave an electric guitar covered in flames to a kid with a passion for music.

Mr Dawson said he could tell he loved music by the look in his eyes.

"His eyeballs just opened up," he said.

The harmonica was the first instrument Mr Dawson ever played, so he gives ten away. He also gives away three guitars - the genre's staple.

For young people to understand Aussie country, they should listen to Slim Dusty, he said.

"Slim did it all," he said.

"I was always encouraged as a kid to play music by my family and my mum, and later on in life I got encouraged by people to write songs.

"Slim Dusty himself, I met him four times, he said to me 'keep writing songs, Pete'."

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