His latest Americana album, Silver City, peaked at No.9 in the ARIA Country charts and No.2 on the AIR Independent chart and has attracted his best reviews in decades.

"It was in the charts and everything and it's the first time I've been in the Australian charts for 42 years," Cadd said in his typically gravelly voice.

"That's a long time. I'm 72 years old and I was happy with how everything was rocking along, like it normally does, and then all the sudden this album comes out and people are saying, 'wow, this is different' and it's given people something to talk about.

"I also find people stop me at airports and in the street and say, 'I went out and bought your album and I really like it'."

Perhaps the most important fan of Silver City has been American concert promoter Michael Lang, the creator of the era-defining music festival, Woodstock.

Cadd and 31-year-old indie star Courtney Barnett are the only two Australians booked for the Woodstock 50 anniversary festival in August, which features Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, The Killers, Santana, Robert Plant and The Black Keys. 

Despite living in Woodstock, New York - a town 70km north east of where the festival is held in Bethel - Cadd had not previously met Lang.

"He [Lang] heard the album and he said, 'This album reminds me of my friends from The Band, it's a great album and he should be on Woodstock'," Cadd said.

"It was simple as that. It's still hard for me to believe. I suppose it gets to the point of what am I gonna wear, what am I gonna play? You go through all that."

Cadd said much of the inspiration for Silver City stemmed from the past. Following the death of luminaries like Tom Petty and Glenn Frey, Cadd fell into depression.

Cadd's realisation that their music remained timeless, despite their deaths, drove a bout of songwriting, including Silver City's highlight, Everybody's Leaving.  

"It came to me one day that it wasn't so much that they'd gone and it was the end, they just left us an enormous amount of work and joy and happiness, which couldn't be counted," he said.

"You can't estimate how much Tom Petty or The Eagles did. It's more a reason to celebrate what they gave us."

But before Woodstock there's one of Cadd's favourite tours - The Good Times All-Stars, with Vika & Linda Bull, Joe Camilleri, Kate Ceberano, Russell Morris, Ross Wilson and John Paul Young.

"If you're an oldie, it's the most fun you can have with your clothes on," he said. 

The Good Times All-Stars Tour hits Newcastle's Civic Theatre on June 13.