John Rowles
Encyclopedia
John Edward Rowles OBE (born 26 March 1947, Whakatane
, New Zealand
) is a New Zealand
singer. He was most popular in the 1970s and early 1980s, and most famous for his song
Cheryl Moana Marie, which he had written about his kid sister back home in New Zealand.
Rowles is part Māori. His father, Eddie Hohapata Rowles, played for the 1938 Māori All Blacks. His mother was Pākehā
. He was brought up in Kawerau, in the North Island
of New Zealand. Rowles' birth name was simply John Rowles; he added the middle name
"Edward" after his brother of that name died at a young age.
Rowles is best known in New Zealand and Australia
, though he has also performed in the United States
, particularly Las Vegas
, Nevada
and Hawaii
, where he was managed by Kimo Wilder McVay
. In the United Kingdom
he was most known for the hit
"If I Only Had Time", which reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart
in spring 1968, and stayed in the chart
for eighteen weeks. The French
singer, Michel Fugain
, had a hit in 1967 with the same song, under the title of "Je n'aurai pas le temps".
Rowles had another Top 20 hit in the UK with "Hush... Not a Word to Mary", also in 1968.
In early 2009 Rowles was selected to appear in Dancing with the Stars
for 2009. He was partnered with Krystal Stewart. Under doctors orders he had to retire from the competition but has since recovered.
He owns a chain of small islands off of the coast of New Guinea
.
Whakatane
Whakatane is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty Region, in the North Island of New Zealand, and is the seat of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Whakatane is 90 km east of Tauranga and 89 km north-east of Rotorua, at the mouth of the Whakatane River.The town has a population of , with...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
) is a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
singer. He was most popular in the 1970s and early 1980s, and most famous for his song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
Cheryl Moana Marie, which he had written about his kid sister back home in New Zealand.
Rowles is part Māori. His father, Eddie Hohapata Rowles, played for the 1938 Māori All Blacks. His mother was Pākehā
Pakeha
Pākehā is a Māori language word for New Zealanders who are "of European descent". They are mostly descended from British and to a lesser extent Irish settlers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, although some Pākehā have Dutch, Scandinavian, German, Yugoslav or other ancestry...
. He was brought up in Kawerau, in the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
of New Zealand. Rowles' birth name was simply John Rowles; he added the middle name
Middle name
People's names in several cultures include one or more additional names placed between the first given name and the surname. In Canada and the United States all such names are specifically referred to as middle name; in most European countries they would simply be regarded as second, third, etc....
"Edward" after his brother of that name died at a young age.
Rowles is best known in New Zealand and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, though he has also performed in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, particularly Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
and Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, where he was managed by Kimo Wilder McVay
Kimo Wilder McVay
Kimo Wilder McVay was a musician turned talent manager, who successfully promoted Hawaiian entertainment acts. McVay promoted and managed acts such as teenage heart throb Robin Luke, Don Ho, John Rowles, comic Andy Bumatai, Keolo and Kapono Beamer, ventroliquist Freddie Morris, magician John...
. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
he was most known for the hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
"If I Only Had Time", which reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in spring 1968, and stayed in the chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
for eighteen weeks. The French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
singer, Michel Fugain
Michel Fugain
Michel Fugain is a French singer and composer. Originally he released music along with his singers and dancers entitled "Le Big Bazar" but went for a more solo approach 1977. In 1969 he published his first album: Je n'aurai pas le temps...
, had a hit in 1967 with the same song, under the title of "Je n'aurai pas le temps".
Rowles had another Top 20 hit in the UK with "Hush... Not a Word to Mary", also in 1968.
In early 2009 Rowles was selected to appear in Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars (New Zealand TV series)
Dancing with the Stars is a New Zealand television series based on the British series Strictly Come Dancing. The show introduces eight local celebrities paired with professional ballroom danceers who each week compete against each other in a competition to impress a panel of judges and the viewing...
for 2009. He was partnered with Krystal Stewart. Under doctors orders he had to retire from the competition but has since recovered.
He owns a chain of small islands off of the coast of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
.