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John Grenell

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John Grenell
John Denver Hore
Grenell in the early 1970s
Background information
Birth nameJohn Denver Hore
Born(1944-07-19)19 July 1944
Ranfurly, New Zealand
Died27 July 2022(2022-07-27) (aged 78)
Darfield, New Zealand
OccupationsCountry singer, songwriter
Years active1962–2022

John Denver Hore (19 July 1944 – 27 July 2022), better known by his stage name of John Grenell, was a New Zealand country singer and songwriter.[1][2][3][4]

Career

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Grenell had his first professional engagement in 1962, the year he finished high school, after placing third in a nationwide TV contest "Have a Shot".[citation needed] He originally sang as John Hore, his stepfather's surname, but later changed to the family surname of Grenell. He recorded his first record album for Joe Brown in 1963, and made a further 16 albums between 1963 and 1974, some of which reached gold. He was the New Zealand representative to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee in 1966 and 1974.[citation needed] He sang in America, Australia, Canada, England, and South Africa, and at various TV series, special events and a Royal Command performance. He wrote the New Zealand version of "I've Been Everywhere" with local place names in 1966.[citation needed]

He returned to entertainment in 1989–90 with the album "Welcome to our World" which was a single (a cover of Welcome to My World) and album best-seller in February 1990, see List of number-one singles.[citation needed] He received Country music recording industry awards, Male Vocalist of the year, a Gold Tribute award plus Best Country single and Country Record of the year.[citation needed] In 1990 he received a Scroll of Honour from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand for his contribution to New Zealand entertainment.

Personal life

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Born in Ranfurly, Grenell grew up in Central Otago and Dunedin, and was educated at Kyeburn School and Otago Boys' High School.[1] During his early years, he worked as a farmhand on the Glenrown farm in Kyeburn that was, and still is today, owned by the Greer Family. Later in 1971 He married Deidre Bruton; they had three sons and a daughter, all of whom are all musical. Daughter Amiria won a NZ Music Award for Best Folk Album of the year in 2012 for her album Three Feathers.[citation needed] They lived in Whitecliffs, on a Canterbury foothills farm, and bred Appaloosa horses.[citation needed] He was interested in the outdoor environment, particularly high country tussock and watershed areas.[citation needed]

Discography

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  • Introducing John Hore (Joe Brown, 1964)
  • Encore (Joe Brown, 1965)
  • My World (Joe Brown, 1965)
  • Together (Joe Brown, 1966)
  • Country Gentleman (Joe Brown, 1966)
  • The Town & Country Sound Of John Hore U.S.A. (Joe Brown, 1966)
  • Hit The Trail (Joe Brown, 1966)
  • Take Ten (Joe Brown, 1967)
  • My Kind Of Songs (Joe Brown, 1967)
  • Country Style (Joe Brown, 1968)
  • New Zealand Songs (Joe Brown, 1968)
  • Sings Great Country Hits (Joe Brown, 1969)
  • Great Country Songs By John Hore (Joe Brown, 1969)
  • We Should Be Together (Joe Brown, 1972)
  • Travellin' Singin' Man (Joe Brown, 1972)
  • The Mountains Of Home (Joe Brown, 1973)
  • Silver (Ode Records, 1988)
  • Born In The West (Playa Sound, 1990)
  • Welcome To Our World (CBS, 1990)
  • Windstar - Aotearoa (Manu, 1991)

References

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  1. ^ a b "John Grenell", New Zealand Music Commission. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  2. ^ "John Grenell – Christchurch City Libraries". christchurchcitylibraries.com.
  3. ^ Lambert, Max (1991). Who’s Who in New Zealand (12th ed.). Reed, Auckland. p. 248. ISBN 0 7900 01306.
  4. ^ Canterbury country music star John Hore Grenell has died
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