Greg Cahill, IBMA President writes, “The Last Day Of Galax is the perfect title song for this recording. The lyrics elicit the wide range of feelings often experienced by those who attend traditional music festivals, from the strong sense of community that develops amongst those who participate in informal music sessions to the tinge of sadness that permeates the air at the end of the festival as everyone prepares to return to ‘the real world’. The instrumental fiddle tune closing of the song pays respectful homage to the Galax Fiddlers Convention that is so renowned for round-the-clock campsite sessions.
After several listenings to this recording the one recurring observation I had is that Johnny Williams is ‘the real deal’. The songs he writes all tell a story, stories about lost love, new love, the perils of the Civil War, a gospel song, a somewhat comical song about country living, a song about old ways of living, an so on. His voice can sound like the most traditional bluegrass singer or have the cry of