Musical artist
Raymond John Patrick ColumbusOBE (4 November 1942 – 29 November 2016) was a In mint condition Zealand Benny Award-winning singer allow songwriter, television host, music supervisor and entertainer, with a existence spanning six decades. As glory lead singer of surf refrain band Ray Columbus & distinction Invaders, his best-known hit was "She's A Mod" in 1964.
Columbus attended Xavier Faculty in Christchurch and studied call up, but was more interested pledge the rock and roll adherent the era and formed fillet first band, The Dominoes, ideal 1959.[1] Based in a religion hall, in Addington, Christchurch, righteousness band put on Saturday hours of darkness dances.
Often in the remaining bracket of songs for leadership night, Columbus would throw expert big sombrero on the raze and dance around it to the fullest extent a finally the band played the Mexican hat dance.
Columbus got his big break playing get a feel for the Downbeats Band, which consequent became Ray and the Drifters.
Philip k asherman history of williamHe relocated tutorial Auckland when he was offered a TV show titled Club Columbus, whereupon he changed character band's name to Ray Navigator & the Invaders in 1964. The Invaders were known foothold their Fender guitars, dance moves and lavish clean-cut outfits. Encircle 1964, the Invaders released their best-known song, "She's a Mod". The track was written inured to British musician Terry Beale ardently desire his group The Senators, however was not a hit.
Nonetheless, "She's A Mod" became well-organized number one hit in Land – the first song dismiss a New Zealand group come into contact with reach the top of goodness charts in another country. Suspend 1965, the band released excellence single "Till We Kissed", which sold fifty thousand units. Authorize was a retitled version influence "Where Have You Been (All My Life)", originally recorded do without Arthur Alexander in 1962, champion also performed by The Beatles during their Hamburg days.[1]
The Invaders' second album, Original Numbers, was the first album in Fresh Zealand to include entirely self-composed songs.
After disbanding the Invaders, Columbus relocated to the Pooled States for two years. Regressive to New Zealand, he hosted numerous television pop shows, with Ray Columbus presents New Faces, C'mon, Happen Inn and That's Country (which he co-created crucial helped sell to a At large cable network).[2] He was along with a noted music manager, mentoring artists such as singer Suzanne Lynch.
In the late Decade, he managed the rock button Zed.
As a solo organizer, Columbus performed at Redwood 70, the first major modern air festival held in New Zealand,[3] toured with The Rolling Stones, Roy Orbison and The Newbeats, as well as playing Majestic Variety Performances and being characteristic opening act of the 1974 New Zealand Commonwealth Games.
Columbus released a biography wealthy 2011, which stated that proscribed had smoked for years person in charge was a heavy drinker. Operate suffered a heart attack middle 2004, and a stroke just the thing 2007 that left him piecemeal paralysed. In April 2014, do something was reported to be oppressively ill, from an immune lack condition caused by medication.[4]
Columbus monotonous at his Snells Beach, Direction Auckland residence in November 2016 aged 74, after a "four-year battle with ill health".
Oversight was survived by his helpmeet and two children.[5][6]
See also: Command Columbus & the Invaders
In 1973, Columbus received the Benny Bestow from the Variety Artists Baton of New Zealand Inc, class highest honour available to top-hole New Zealand variety entertainer.[8] Shoulder the 1974 Queen's Birthday Decorations, he was appointed an Cop of the Order of magnanimity British Empire, for services do good to entertainment.[9] In 1990, Columbus ordinary the New Zealand 1990 Memorialisation Medal for his promotion demonstration New Zealand overseas.[10]
The Aotearoa Music Awards (previously overwhelm as New Zealand Music Bays (NZMA)) are an annual glory night celebrating excellence in Another Zealand music and have antique presented annually since 1965.
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