Eddie Low

Low was born in Rotorua on 14 May 1943 with his twin brother. His mother, Rangi Ratana McRoy, had contracted rubella and tuberculosis during pregnancy. As a result, Low was born blind and his twin brother did not survive. McRoy died shortly after from the illness, aged 18. His father, Robert McRoy, was unable to cope as a single parent. Low and his older brother David were sent to live with several other children in the home of Maria Low, a widow who was a cousin of their mother. He started his first band, the Three Blind Mice, with two of his friends when he was 13. Low began his professional career in music in the years after leaving school, joining a group called The Chevronaires with his brother David, which had a residency at the Picasso club in Auckland. It was there he met and befriended John Rowles. In 1964, the pair began performing Beatles covers, taking up a six month contract in Melbourne, Australia at the Riverside Inn. == Career ==

Eddie Low had a unique voice and was dubbed "the voice in a million" by Joe Brown, who signed him as a solo artist. He would often use falsetto in his songs and yodel. Low was also a multi-instrumentalist, often playing the trumpet, but was also proficient with other instruments including guitar, keys, flute, and violin. After the contract ended, the pair moved to Sydney seeking opportunities in Kings Cross, where they discovered fellow musician Graham Willoughby, who had been in The Chevronaires, in a new band called The Dingdongers. The group performed in Australia and New Zealand, and were regulars on the annual Miss New Zealand Extravaganza tours and the Country and Western NZ Show, both organised by impresario Joe Brown. 1970–1979: Solo career and hiatus In 1969, Brown encouraged Low to leave The Quin Tikis and offered to sign him to his label, Joe Brown Records, as a solo artist. Low agreed. In 1970 he debuted with the albums Presenting The Golden Voice Of Eddie Low and The Voice In A Million. In 1971, Low recorded an EP with John Hore named Eddie Low and John Hore Live. In November that year, Low reunited with Morrison and performed a nightly show along with Billy Peters. By the mid-1970s, Low had released 11 singles through Brown and several albums and EPs, including a single with his daughter Marie, "Daddy What If". His music received heavy airplay on country radio stations. 1980–1996: Return to studio, MAL Records, and recognition In 1980, Low signed to RCA Records and returned with Eddie Low Sings (Songs of Home). Over the next four years, Low released four more albums: Easy Temptations, Blue Smoke, Country Greats and Heart and Soul. In 1984, he received the Variety Artists Club Scroll of Honour. In 1986, Low started his own record label, MAL Records (later known as MAL Music Promotions) named after his daughter Maria Ann Low, who he had sung with in the 1975 single "Daddy What If". He released his single "I Am Me" through his label, a reflective piece on his blindness and his feelings about being considered handicapped. In 1996, Low re-released Heart and Soul through BMG and released the compilation album Eddie Low: New Zealand’s International Singing Star. 1997–2012: New Zealand Highwaymen and renewed success In 2004, Rajon Music re-released Turning Back The Clock and Land of my Mother, Land of my Father as a three-disc collection. Throughout the 2000s, Low toured across New Zealand, including in 2003 with his Roy Orbison tribute show, In 2006, Low's long career and contributions were recognised and he was awarded the Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to music in the 2006 Queen's Birthday Honours. In 2011, Low released The Voice In A Million (The Very Best Of Eddie Low), a compilation album reflecting on highlights of his career. The album was a commercial success going platinum, spending twenty two weeks on the charts, including two weeks peaking at number two, and reviving mainstream interest in Low's catalogue. It was the fifteenth best-selling album in New Zealand that year and the fourth best-selling album by a New Zealand artist in 2011. He followed up in 2012 with Icon released by Sony Music, Near the end of the tour during one of their shows, Low collapsed minutes before a performance at the Hokitika Regent Theatre, and was taken to hospital. He was transferred to Christchurch Hospital for nine days, leaving to attend his 80th birthday celebration. In July 2023, Low was diagnosed with diffuse gastric cancer and his condition became publicly known. He battled cancer for over a year including the complete removal of his stomach, and endured significant weight loss, becoming unfit to tour and being forced to withdraw from events. Low died in Christchurch on the morning of 21 September 2024, aged 81, reportedly surrounded by his family. == Personal life ==

Low is of Scottish and Māori descent from his father and mother's side, respectively. He was born with blindness and gained only partial vision in his left eye at the age of 12 after multiple surgeries. In early 2019 while visiting Australia during one of Low's tours, Kathleen died suddenly from a heart attack. Throughout his life, Low spent time living and performing in both Australia and New Zealand. Low had a home in Sydney where he lived in the late 1970s, periodically returning to Christchurch to perform and appear on TV shows including That's Country. Low died in Christchurch on the morning of 21 September 2024, aged 81. == Honours and awards ==

• New Zealand Entertainer and Songwriter of the Year, 1980 • Australia Country Hands of Fame, 1983 • Country Music Legend Award, 2009 • Benny Award, Variety Artists Club of New Zealand, 2009 • New Zealand Walk of Fame (2023) ==Discography==

Solo albums • Presenting The Golden Voice Of Eddie Low (1970) • The Voice In A Million (1970) • Eddie Low (1973) • Eddie Low in USA and Canada (1976) • Eddie Low Sings (Songs of Home) (1980) • Easy Temptations (1981) • Blue Smoke (1982) • Country Greats (1984) • Heart and Soul (1984) • Turning Back The Clock • Land of my Mother, Land of my Father • Icon (2012) • Do You Wanna Dance (2014) • This Could Be the Last Time (2017) • You Raise Me Up (2019) • ''To All The Girls I've Sung Before'' • Paint Me a Memory (2020) • When I Sing About You (2021) EPs • Eddie Low (1970) • Eddie Low On A Mini Record (1971) • Eddie Low Live (The Voice In A Million) (1971) • Joe Brown Presents Eddie Low (1975) Singles • "Bonnie Please Don't Go" (1971) • "Lonely Women Make Good Lovers" (1972) • "Help Me Make It Through The Night" (1972) • "Daddy What If" with Daughter Marie (1975) • "May God Go With You" (1982) • "I Am Me" (1990) Collaborative albums and EPs • Eddie Low and John Hore Live (1971) • We Should Be Together with John Hore (1972) Compilation albums • The Best Of Eddie Low (1972) • Eddie Low: New Zealand’s International Singing Star (1996) • The Great Eddie Low (2009) • The Voice In A Million (The Very Best Of Eddie Low) (2011) • Selections 2009–2021 (2022) == References ==