Apart from performing tirelessly, Columbus spent much his working life offering advice to young musicians, on songwriting, recording, publishing and showmanship. He was an accomplished songwriter himself, represented New Zealand at APRA for many years – and managed acts from Shane to Zed. As New Zealand’s leading star of the beat era, he experienced the successes of the music business – and the pitfalls and disappointments.
Leesa Tilley - a personal tribute
NZ Musician - Moments like These by Trevor Reekie
Radio NZ - Silver Scroll Awards 2009 Ray Columbus
Radio NZ - Ray Columbus - star of the beat group era
NZ Herald - Steve Braunias: Ray Columbus remembered
NZ Herald - Music legend Ray Columbus leaves a legacy of talent, toil and good times
NZ Herald - Barry Soper: Ray Columbus a heart-stopping assignment for this young reporter
NZ Herald - Tributes flow for Kiwi music icon Ray Columbus
He’s a mod: Ray Columbus 1942-2016 - Murray Cammick
NZ Herald - Kiwi music legend Ray Columbus dies 1942-2016
Stuff - Ray Columbus always had the last word
Columbus wrote The Invaders’ first release ‘Money Lover’ in 1956, aged 14. He sent the song to Elvis Presley, c/o RCA Records. He didn’t receive a reply.
The Invaders’ breakthrough instrumental ‘Ku Pow’ was originally recorded by English group The Outlaws, which featured future Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore.
The original version of ‘She’s A Mod’ was recorded by Birmingham beat group The Senators and released in February 1964. The song was written by the group’s lead singer Terry Beale who was apparently rather bemused by the song’s Australasian success. The Senators’ drummer was John Bonham, who went on to join Led Zeppelin.
During Columbus’s first solo tour, early in 1966, he was billed with Herman's Hermits and Tom Jones. The original intention was for Jones’s backing band The Squires to also back Columbus, but after the first show Jones’s manager withdrew their services. Columbus explained: “Tom appealed to an older audience and during the first show me and Herman received all of the screams. That was it. Larry's Rebels were also on the bill so I used them instead”.
The 1969 NZBC-TV series A Girl to Watch Music By was hosted by Columbus and featured guests such as Pat McMinn, Eliza Keil, Yolande Gibson, and Allison Durbin. One item, in which Columbus played a ventriloquist’s puppet while sitting beside Max Cryer, was occasionally re-screened on television and repeated in other settings.
Columbus wrote many songs for other New Zealand artists. Among them was ‘The Crunch’, recorded by The Challenge. Columbus wanted to promote a new dance craze, while Smith’s Crisps wanted the song to promote their potato chips (“the ones with the big CRUNCH flavour”).