Warm tributes in farewell to the modfather of Kiwi music
A CRIMSON lacquered casket, a vintage Chevrolet hearse, and rock ’n’ roll.
It was fitting that the life of Raymond John Patrick Columbus OBE was celebrated with the kind of flair that brought him fame.
‘‘Ray was the epitome of a pop star. Stylishly dressed, brimming with energy,’’ said colleague and friend Ant Healey in his eulogy.
Columbus died last Tuesday aged 74, after a four-year battle with illness.
Before a congregation of hundreds of mourners inside St Patrick’s Cathedral in central Auckland, Columbus was yesterday remembered as much for his work behind the scenes, mentoring and managing Kiwi acts, as he was for his success as BEVAN READ / FAIRFAXNZ frontman of Ray Columbus and the Invaders.
‘‘He was always keen to offer advice and to help and get involved. He was everyone’s go-to guy,’’ Healey said.
Suzanne Lynch of the Chicks, whom Columbus managed, sang Larry Henley’s Wind Beneath My Wings and mourners sang along as former Zed frontman Nathan King performed She’s a Mod, accompanied by Invaders veteran Billy Karaitiana.
Entertainer and TV personality Max Cryer took mourners through Columbus’ life: the 6-year-old tap-dancer; the charming 9-year-old ice-cream seller; the fashionable teen in stovepipe jeans and winklepickers. And then the TV host; the pop star whose song Till We Kiss spent 30 years as New Zealand’s best-selling single; the businessman running nightclubs; the manager guiding Kiwi talent through the pitfalls of the music industry; the brother cooking Italian food for the family. The dedicated godfather. The modfather.
‘‘In an industry fraught with rivalry and broken promises, the name Ray Columbus stands for honesty and integrity,’’ Cryer said.
Mourners started clapping – a final round of applause for one of our great showmen.