Eddie Low  MNZM

Eddie Low  MNZM

Edward Robert (Eddie) Low was born on May 14th, 1945 in Rotorua, New Zealand and died peacefully in Christchurch on September 21st, 2024.  Known as the "voice in a million" he began his entertainment career in the early 1960s with a group known as The Chevronaires.  Not only did he possess extraordinary vocal talents, but was also master of an impressive array of musical instruments, including piano, trumpet, flute, most of the brass instruments, guitar, string bass, violin and piano accordion, making him one of New Zealand's most versatile entertainers.  This is an even more creditable achievement considering Eddie is only partially sighted, and plays all instruments by ear.  In the early 1960s Eddie formed a duo with fellow New Zealander John Rowles.  In 1964 the duo crossed the Tasman, where they quickly became a hit with Australian audiences.  Soon after arriving in Melbourne the pair joined the group The Sundowners.

After leaving The Sundowners Eddie joined the Maori showband The Quin Tikis.  The group were regular highlighters on the huge Australasian cabaret circuit.  They also went to Bangkok and Singapore, entertaining troops during the Vietnam War.  During the early years Eddie had so impressed Joe Brown, one of New Zealand's greatest music entrepreneurs, that Joe signed Eddie to a solo career in 1969, and Eddie recorded on the Joe Brown label.

Eddie's reputation was growing overseas and in October 1972 he was invited by the Country Music Association of America to take part in the Grand Ole Opry birthday celebrations held in Nashville, Tennessee.  While there he received an opportunity to record a single with Chart Records and entered the RCA Studios in Nashville to record Lonely Women Make Good Lovers // Walk Hand In Hand.  Two other singles also came out in 1972, One Way Wind // Five Little Fingers and Pokarekare Ana // Lodi.

Eddie returned to Nashville in 1973 and continued to wow the audiences.  He represented New Zealand on the International Show, which had representatives from many countries.  Eddie received standing ovations.  The International Show was followed by appearances at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, and Eddie was invited to tour Canada on an extended tour for six months, where he included fundraising shows for Canadian Native Indian children's hospitals.  Eddie Low has recorded 23 albums and many singles.  He has been entertaining audiences around the world for more than four decades and although he has received many musical accolades he says one of the highlights of his career was being asked to write a song for disabled people.  Having grown up with the stigma of a disability himself, Eddie says he felt very strongly about the song he wrote, I Am Me, which has been adopted by disabled people around the world as an anthem for acceptance.  Eddie has performed, toured and held his own with some of the Country music greats.  Johnny Cash, Charlie Pride, Kenny Rogers and many more.  He is one of the very few to do an "encore" at the Grand Ole Opry.  He has received many awards, including his New Zealand Order of Merit from Her Majesty the Queen in 2006, the Benny Award in 2009 and the Country Music Legend Award.  He also paints and plays a mean hand of golf.

Additional Eddie Low information is available on the Audio Culture website .....

www.audioculture.co.nz/people/eddie-low