Blues singer Buddy Knox shares his story for NAIDOC week in Tamworth

The legendary blues singer says there's an inextricable link between the melodies he writes and the rich Aboriginal tradition of storytelling.

"It's just storytelling. I find myself on some songs just speaking it out, talking it out on some of the slower, ballad-style ones," Buddy said.

Fittingly, in line with the theme of this year's NAIDOC Week, For Our Elders, Buddy credits his father Roger Knox, for getting him into the music scene.

Buddy's upcoming album will share some of his father's stories, and he gave the Leader a sneak peak into what they're all about.

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Roger, also known as 'the Black Elvis' and 'the Koori King of Country,' is a music legend - like father like son - with multiple accolades for his soulful country music. But it's a miracle he made it that far, as the start of Roger Knox's career was almost cut tragically short by two consecutive plane crashes.

The first one was a controlled crash into the desert during a tour, and the second one happened a few hours later while being rescued from the first when the pilot flew the rescue plane into the ground, the accident killing a band mate leaving Roger covered in burns. He had to be revived after his heart stopped.

The event is featured in Buddy's song 'Burning Man' on the new album.

Buddy's soon-to-be-released album shares more of his family's stories from before they came to Tamworth, back in the '60s in the tiny town of Bungunya on the border of Queensland and NSW.

He recently discovered that his First Nations roots spread even wider than he thought.

"My father and my grandfather are of the Gomeroi, but we did a search for where my family's from and found out I'm also a part of the Bigambul people, out around the border river area near Goondiwindi," he said.

Buddy said a number of songs on his new album share a blend of stories from Gomeroi and Bigambul folklore, as well as his own experience discovering more about his family tree, breathing new life into millennia of oral traditions.

Even without his trusty 1967 Gibson guitar, Buddy's colourful way of speaking brings his family's tales to life.

"When my mother was in labour, we had to get the ambulance from Toobeah out to Bungunya to go 75 kilometres all the way to Goondiwindi for me to be born," he said.

"My father followed the ambulance with his mate, and when the ambulance got bogged he got out and pushed the ambulance, while she was inside it in labour to have me.

"When my father got to the hospital, with his dark complexion and mud on him in the '60s, these people wanted him to leave. He had to wait outside."

Buddy admires his father for having the strength to face adversity without backing down.

"That's why we do it, because he did it," Buddy said.

"If my father didn't take the licks, or kick the door in, then I woulda taken more licks, then the next one's gonna struggle too. I just wanna play the blues, fair as anyone," he said.

These days, Buddy spends a lot of his time helping the younger generation of First Nations musicians, helping up-and-comers like Loren Ryan and Noah Overs find their feet.

"There's a lot of talented kids, some underprivileged, that can't get a look. They don't get that they're talented because they feel like there's no way to get their talents out there. I come along and try to help 'em along a bit, put 'em on a track, and let their talent run wild," he said.

Buddy also has his own career to focus on, and he still tours with his son Teangi, his nephew Bareki, and other members of his family.

"We can play for everybody, anywhere. The stories are universal, and you can get a bit of an education through the songs," he said.

As NAIDOC Week celebrates the rich history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Buddy Knox stands at the forefront of Tamworth's celebration.

With music as his vessel, he carries the voices of his father and grandfather, breathing life into their stories and sharing them with the world, all while jammin' out on his watermelon-red guitar.

"A lot of those stories are in the songs. You get some of the best players in the world, great players, but their stories are dumb as shit. I'm just sayin' I've got some stories to tell," Buddy said.

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