The song about his sister that made John Rowles famous.
G Cheryl Moana Marie
Back home she's waiting for D7 me
Cheryl Moana Marie
There on the shore
she waits so patient-G-ly.
In a sleepy little town,
Where C soft breezes blow,
There's a D7 lovely little Maori miss
I used to G know
Someday I will find my way
And I'll re-C-turn from over the sea
To D7 where my island sweetheart
waits for G me.
Cheryl Moana Marie
Someday our waiting will D7 end
Safe in my arms she will be
My Cheryl MoanaG Marie
"Cheryl Moana Marie"
In 1969, when John was still only 21, he accepted an invitation to represent New Zealand in the Rio De Janiero song festival. John wrote a song for this special occasion, "Cheryl Moana Marie" inspired by his younger sister with the same name.
He later remarked of the event; "To be alone on stage singing to 80,000 excited Latin fans all waving their handkerchiefs, is the kind of experience I'll never forget".
Out of the songs entered in the festival from 42 countries, Cheryl Moana Marie was voted No.5. Later it became a top 50 hit in the U.S.A. No. 1 in New Zealand, Australia and Hawaii and was chosen by the UNESCO Cultural & Educational Committee for the World Book of Song.
John and Cheryl 1969
John and Cheryl 2006Cheryl Rowles
After a 30 year break from University raising a family, and helping to manage John's career, John's sister Cheryl completed a commerce degree at the end of 2005.
John Rowles
| John Rowles
was born on 26th March 1947 in Whakatane and was raised in Kawerau in
the Bay Of Plenty. His parents were Eddie and Phyllis Rowles. Eddie had
played on the wing and three-quarter for the Maori All Blacks in 1938,
and was also a talented singer. John had five sisters, Georgina, Carol, Gabrielle, Cheryl and Tania, and two brothers, Edward and Wally. John's first performance was at the age of 10, when he entered a local talent quest and sang 'All Shook Up', taking out first prize. At secondary school he organised a group and played lead guitar. His father managed the group and they played at local dances at weekends. In 1962, when he was 15, John left school and soon moved to Auckland where he acquired a job as a guitar player in a club. When the vocalist there became ill, John took over the vocal duties as well. In 1963 John moved to Australia, and in 1966, still aged only 19, he secured the services of New Zealand promoter Graham Dent as his manager. Graham gave him a new smart image. In 1967, John went to England where Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck held sway, but John's first release of 'If I Only Had Time' was a huge hit, reaching #3 on the pop charts. At the end 1968 John returned to New Zealand and received a huge reception. Also in 1969 John was invited to represent New Zealand in the Rio De Janeiro Song Festival where he sung 'Cheryl Moana Marie.' This record has sold millions of copies over the years and is John's best selling single of all time. John found that his future was now in the USA. He started singing in the hotels all over the USA and appearing on television. He was likened to Elvis Presley and had no problem getting offers in any Las Vegas hotel. In 1972, still only 25 years old, John signed a 5 year contract with the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Hawaii was the perfect place for John to base himself, as it was halfway between New Zealand and the US mainland, both of which he traveled to frequently. In 1978 his sister Tania provided the inspiration for John to write a new single, and 'Tania' became another massive hit around the world. In 1980 John sang at a Royal Command Performance before Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in Auckland, and he was also awarded the OBE (Order of the British Empire) for his contribution to the music industry and also as an ambassador, the promotion of New Zealand overseas. Condensed from Muzic.net.nz |
Published on the NZ Folksong website 22 July 2009