NEW ZEALAND STAR  2007 Click the Scroll to go to the category page or  «  to go back

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			Full Name:   John Brian Ringrose Born:   May 01st, 1945 Hometown:   Christchurch Instruments Played:   Guitar, Flute, Keyboards, Vocalist Career Began:   1958 Groups:   The Wildcats, The Downbeats, The Invaders, The Playboys, The Byrds Residencies:   The Plainsman, The Shirlee, The Platter Rack (Auckland) TV Shows:   Come On, Let's Go, Happen Inn, That's Country, McPhail and Gadsby A week Of It, Opportunity Knocks, What's Now, Telethons etc. Highlights:   Working with Ray Columbus in the latter years (1985-1999), getting a record to No. 7 on the Lever Hit Parade, getting a gold record for sales of over 50,000 units of a guitar album sold in 1975 - receiving the Gold record in 2003 (25 years after the event!), working with numerous Local and International "big names", playing at Gene Pitney's 21st birthday, many TV shows. Tours:   With The Howard Morrison Quartet Career:   Still a professional musician	New Zealand Star 2007

	Brian Ringrose ... in his own words
	About Time with Norm Bland live in Christchurch Cathedral - Brian right		My first paid job was at St. David's Bible Class social on May 01st, 1958.  I was asked to join The Wildcats and played with them for about 18 months, at which stage I was asked to join The Downbeats with Ray Columbus, and I started playing at Spencer Street.  We eventually changed our name to Ray Columbus and The Invaders and played at many of the local dances, eventually signing to play at The Plainsman.  After a six month stint there, the band moved to Auckland.  I was too young to leave school, and so I joined Phil Garland and The Playboys.  Dinah Lee was also a singer with this band, and eventually Phil and Dinah left, and Dave Miller joined on vocals.  We had success in Christchurch, and then in Auckland during 1965 and 1966, when we worked with The Howard Morrison Quartet, and played most of the clubs, spots etc. in Auckland..  At the end of 1966 I came back to Christchurch where I have based myself as a professional musician ever since.

	I am still performing as a professional musician - recording, writing music etc. and running a very successful pre-school children's music business in New Zealand and overseas.  In excess of 80% of the materials are my own original songs.