Sir Howard died on September 24, 2009. Two years on, Sir Howard Morrison - The Definitive Collection has been released, the first CD to contain all the songs he recorded. The CD opens with Big Man and concludes with one of his most famous songs, How Great Thou Art.
There's a hint of parody from the 1960s in My Old Man's an All Black, and The Wilder Colonial Boy, a comedic folk ballad about serial prison escaper George Wilder.
Howard Morrison jnr points out that it includes never-heard and forgotten songs like New World In the Morning and The KZ7 Team.
Sir Howard's career began with him listening to his uncle sing Italian songs from both world wars. He was fascinated by music but couldn't pursue it fulltime as, Howard jnr recalls, he was told "singing wasn't a real job".
He started singing part-time in a group in his hometown, Rotorua. In 1957, Auckland promoter Benny Levin introduced the quartet to Eldred Stebbing, who owned Zodiac Records. They began playing at Auckland's Town Hall, rapidly gained popularity and recorded There's A Goldmine In The Sky, which ended up being a big seller and remained a stage favourite throughout their career.
In 1959, Sydney-based Kiwi promoter Harry M. Miller signed the Howard Morrison Quartet to La Gloria Records and booked them around Sydney. Miller wanted the band to tour overseas but, since all the members were family men, they turned him down. Miller lost interest and the band returned to New Zealand and Viking Records.
From 1965, Sir Howard was a solo artist, performing across New Zealand. However, from 1969 to 1989 he gained popularity in "Asia and Hawaii and was away from his family for eight months of the year. It became a novelty to see him as he brought us toys and presents that weren't available in New Zealand", says Howard jnr.
In 1981, Sir Howard's How Great Thou Art/Whakaaria Ma spent 13 weeks at No1 on the New Zealand charts. He was named Entertainer of the Decade in 1989 and received his knighthood at his home marae at Ohinemutu, Rotorua, the following year.
Howard jnr has followed in his father's footsteps and is in the Howard Morrison Trio, touring 40 shows across the country. They will wind up their current tour in Christchurch on December 9, donating all their profits to the rebuilding of the city. Their performances include Sir Howard's greatest songs, which are still big hits with audiences.
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