When the Wilson Street duo did a gig at Elysium Village in late 2016, they fell in love with Beaudesert.
Rick Wilson and Linda Street, who were living on the Gold Coast at the time, loved Beaudesert so much they bought their forever home here in January 2017.
Fast forward five years and the couple continue to love the life they’ve built in the country with their dogs Cooper the moodle and Bundy the poodle bitsa and their thriving garden.
When Covid restrictions put the brakes on live gigs in 2020, life changed significantly for percussionist Rick and vocalist Linda, who were used to constantly working and being on the road to earn their living as professional entertainers.
Rick and Linda were eligible for government JobKeeper Payment support to cover their lost wages but sitting back on their laurels didn’t come naturally to them.
So, they turned the setback into an opportunity and put their newfound spare time to use as volunteers with Beaudesert Meals on Wheels.
Rick and Linda are quite busy again, booking gigs as the Wilson Street duo and separately but even as their schedules fill back up, they have continued with their weekly Wednesday Meals on Wheels shifts and love the interaction with customers in the community.
Rick, who has played the drums ever since he started playing on a biscuit tin as a three-year-old growing up in South Australia, said demand had grown for the Wilson Street duo as gigs started to open back up.
Linda, who was born in New Zealand, trained as a professional opera singer in her youth and has a lifetime of gigs under her belt doing everything from Abba to Dolly Parton as well as her own material, said you had to be versatile to survive as a professional musician.
Locally, Wilson Street duo performs on weekends about once a month at The Overflow Estate 1895 and has some gigs at The Club Beaudesert.
This December, they’re heading back to where it all started, with Christmas gigs at Elysium Village. Rick and Linda will perform as Wilson Street duo on 24 December and Rick will perform with Chris Doyle as the Wilson and Doyle duo on 10 and 17 December.
