| John Rowles | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Rowles |
| Also known as | John Edward Rowles |
| Born | March 26, 1947 Whakatane, New Zealand |
| Origin | New Zealand |
| Genres | Pop |
| Years active | 1966-present |
John Edward Rowles OBE (born 26 March 1947, Whakatane, New Zealand) is a New Zealand singer. He was most popular in the 1970s and early 1980s, and most famous for his song Cheryl Moana Marie, which he had written about his kid sister back home in New Zealand.
Rowles is part Māori. His father, Eddie Hohapata Rowles, played for the 1938 Māori All Blacks. His mother was Pākehā. He was brought up in Kawerau, in the North Island of New Zealand. Rowles' birth name was simply John Rowles; he added the middle name "Edward" after his brother of that name died at a young age.[1]
Rowles is best known in New Zealand and Australia, though he has also performed in the United States, particularly Las Vegas, Nevada and Hawaii, where he was managed by Kimo Wilder McVay. In the United Kingdom he was most known for the hit "If I Only Had Time", which reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart in spring 1968, and stayed in the chart for eighteen weeks.[2] The French singer, Michel Fugain, had a hit in 1967 with the same song, under the title of "Je n'aurai pas le temps".
Rowles had another Top 20 hit in the UK with "Hush... Not a Word to Mary", also in 1968.[2]
In early 2009 Rowles was selected to appear in Dancing with the Stars for 2009. He was partnered with Krystal Stewart. Under doctors orders he had to retire from the competition but has since recovered.
He owns a chain of small islands off of the coast of New Guinea.