It's too easy to take Tom Wilson for granted in this town.

We saw him Thursday singing the national anthem at the Ticats' season opener and Tuesday his band will be headlining at the Gage Park Bandshell, closing the It's Your Festival Canada Day bash.

But those gigs are just a brief respite at home from an otherwise impossibly busy schedule that also has him recording with the Cowboy Junkies, touring the U.S. with John Hiatt, writing songs for The RankinE02 Family and Colin James, as well as preparing for the next Blackie And The Rodeo Kings album.

Always a prolific writer, Wilson says the deaths of close friends such as Willie P. Bennett and keyboard player Richard Bell have shifted his creative processes into an even higher gear.

"I can't imagine any of my time being taken up not doing something productive these days," Wilson says. "I've lost too many friends in the last year and it's kind of changed my perspective in terms of wanting to get things done."

Wilson was invited to be a guest on an upcoming Cowboy Junkies project called Kennedy Suites, an album of songs revolving around the day that JFK got killed. The recording sessions created a bond between Wilson and Cowboy Junkies songwriter Michael Timmins.

"We hit it off and we just started making a record with our friend Josh Finlayson of the Skydiggers, and it's pretty groovy," Wilson says. "We're mixing the album in August, I believe."

The group, a rootsy collaboration that also includes Hamilton's Ray Farrugia on drums, is working under the moniker Lee Harvey Osmond. A video from the sessions of a song called I'm Going To Stay That Way has already made its way onto the web via YouTube.

Next week, Wilson is playing a series of shows in Virginia with respected U.S. singer-songwriter John Hiatt.

Tuesday, Wilson will bring a band of old friends -- Farrugia on drums, Colin Cripps on guitar, John Diamond on bass and Jesse O'Brien on keyboards -- to perform songs from his solo career, as well as from his bands Blackie And The Rodeo Kings and Junkhouse.

Wilson's main project continues to be his association with fellow Rodeo Kings Colin Linden and Stephen Fearing. The band is about to release a special vinyl collection of its music covering the past 10 years for the U.S. market.

In January, Wilson, Fearing and Linden have booked time to work on the Blackie And The Rodeo Kings' next studio album.

"The idea is a 'Kings and queens' record where we sing duets with all our favourite girl singers," Wilson says.

grockingham@thespec.com

905-526-3331

Showtime

What: Tom Wilson Band, on the final day of the It's Your Festival

When: Tuesday (Canada Day), 8:30 p.m.

Where: Gage Park Bandshell

Cost: Free