Modfather farewelled
In a service that came complete with a lacquered casket, vintage Chevy hearse and rock ’n’ roll music, one of the greatest names in New Zealand music was farewelled.
It was fitting that the life of Raymond John Patrick Columbus OBE – who died last Tuesday aged 74 – was celebrated with the kind of flair that made him famous.
Several acts Columbus supported were on hand to offer tributes. They included Suzanne Lynch of The Chicks, who sang Wind Beneath My Wings.
A crimson lacquered casket, a vintage Chevrolet hearse, and rock ’n’ roll.
It was fitting that the life of Raymond John Patrick Columbus OBE was celebrated with the kind of flair that made him famous.
‘‘Ray was the epitome of a pop star. Stylishly dressed, brimming with energy,’’ said colleague and friend Ant Healey in his eulogy.
Columbus died last Tuesday aged 74, after a four-year battle with illness.
Before a congregation of hundreds of mourners inside St Patrick’s Cathedral in Auckland, Columbus was yesterday remembered as much for his work behind the scenes, mentoring and managing Kiwi acts, as he was for his success as frontman of Ray Columbus and the Invaders.
‘‘He was always keen to offer advice and to help and get involved. He was everyone’s go-to guy,’’ Healey said.
Several acts Columbus supported were on hand to offer tributes. Suzanne Lynch of The Chicks, whom Columbus managed, sang Wind Beneath My Wings.
Mourners were invited to sing along as former Zed frontman Nathan King performed She’s a Mod, accompanied by Invaders veteran Billy Karaitiana.
Karaitiana became friends with
In an industry fraught with rivalry and broken promises, the name Ray Columbus stands for honesty and integrity.
Columbus back in 1958 – a friendship that lasted 58 years. ‘‘I think that’s the longest stretch I’ve had with anybody,’’ Karaitiana said.
He played in one of Columbus’ early bands before joining the Invaders several years later. He remembered Columbus for his relentless positivity as well as his perfectionism – he wouldn’t tolerate bad behaviour from other band members on tour.
Entertainer and TV personality Max Cryer took mourners through Columbus’ life: the 6-year-old tap dancer; the charming 9-year-old icecream seller; the fashionable teen in stovepipe jeans and winkle-pickers. Then the TV host; the pop star, whose song Till We Kiss spent 30 years as New Zealand’s best-selling single; the businessman running nightclubs; the manager who guided a raft of Kiwi talent through the pitfalls of the music industry; the brother cooking Italian food for the family, glass of wine in hand. The dedicated godfather. The Modfather.
‘‘In an industry fraught with rivalry and broken promises, the name Ray Columbus stands for honesty and integrity,’’ Cryer said.
As the pallbearers bore the crimson casket out of the cathedral, mourners spontaneously started clapping. It was a final round of applause for one of New Zealand’s great showmen.
Max Cryer