John Grenell

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

John Grenell
Grenell in the early 1970's
Born(1944-07-19)19 July 1944
Ranfurly, New Zealand
OccupationCountry Singer

Career

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". He recorded his first record album for Joe Brown in 1963, and made a further 16 albums 1963-74, some of which reached gold. He was the New Zealand representative to the Grand Old Opry in Nashville, Tennessee in 1966 and 1974. He has sung 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.

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. He has 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.

Personal life

Born in Ranfurly, Grenell grew up in Central Otago and Dunedin, and was educated at Kyeburn School and Otago Boys' High School.[1] He originally sang as John Hore, his stepfather’s surname, but later changed to the family surname of Grenell. He married Deidre Bruton in 1971; they have three sons who are all musical and daughter Amiria won a NZ Music Award for Best Folk Album of the year in 2012 for her album Three Feathers. They live in Whitecliffs, on a Canterbury foothills farm, and breed Appaloosa horses. He is interested in the outdoor environment, particularly high country tussock and watershed areas.

References
  1. "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.


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