Dad was a true professional on and off stage.

Your book’s written as a script containing continuous dialogue between a large cast of characters. Howdifficult wasthis without physically beingpresent with a tape recorder?

I grew up with most of the characters. Myself, sister and brother were very fortunate to tour onmanyoccasions with Dad, numerous quartet members, a wide range of bandmembers and musical directors, promoters and fellow artists. Those people I didn’t knowi sought advice from Dad’s sister Aunty Judy (Tapsell) to better understand their character. In Dad’s last 10 yearswe became very good mates, he opened up tomesharing stories that only a handful of people would know. I consider myself very fortunate he did. Wereyouprepared for the outcry your revelations about your father, including his extra marital activitiesandbrush with Imeldamarcosandpilipino machineguntoting heavieshave brought? Do younowwish you’dbeen less frank? I don’t have any regrets about anything I mentioned in the book. The Onetime I referred to the extra marital activitywe addressed it as a whanau, Mumtook hold of the situation and promptly brought thehammerdownon it. The Imelda Marcos scenario cameabout wheni asked Dad

“When is the most scared you've been in life, was it failure?” Heabruptly said “No, failure’s not acceptable inmy life, son. It was the fear of knowing I might have been snuffed out in a foreign land and perhaps never return to myloved ones and beloved hometown, that scaredme s***less.”

Whentheworkis performedonstageor as a film, whodoyouvisualise playing your fatherandof course yourself? I can't see playing myself in a stage or screen play, but possibly Dad in his later years. Howhardwasit growing upin theshadowof the manwhofounded Maoridom’s firstshow band, becamethe 1980s entertainer of thedecade andwasknighted for services to entertainment? Wheniwas attending primary and intermediate, later boarding school, I was a target for bullies. Not because ofmy personality or character but because ofmyname. I grew up very frustrated and hurt people could pick onme simply because I was the son of Howard Morrison.

Collectively, the Morrison whanau’s hugely talented as national kapahaka leaders, in movies(cousin Tem), yourself as a musicianandtelevision presenter. Doyouaccept your father’s reportedly inflatedego preventedhim from praisingand accepting these success stories? Froma very early age Dad instilled in himself that he was going to be the very BEST entertainer. With that camesacrifice, commitment, determination, a lot of hard work and a very large ego to boot, however Dad always celebrated all the Morrison whanau success stories.

Sirhowardplayed a major role inyouthprogrammes such astutangataand riding the length of the country fundraising for Life Education Trust. Doesit saddenyou these achievements are generally overlooked today? Dad was a true professional on and off stage, I believe he is truly a national icon. People will always be opinionated but unfortunatelymanyfocus on the very few negatives and not the positives. Dad never earned his OBE, knighthood, doctorate and numerous other awards for being a chumso yes, it does sadden me.

Morethan 10 years after his deathhowbest can his legacybekept alive? Tenyear celebrations were supposed to have occurred earlier this year but because of Covid were postponed. Launch of book – done. Stage play for reopening of the Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre postponed to the end of 2021. National tour of Nzby thenewhoward Morrison Quartet Taketwo– February 2021. This will definitely be his last hoorah.