Ian Morris (musician)


Ian Gordon Morris was a musician, record producer, recording engineer and songwriter from New Zealand.

Musical career

Ian Morris and his brother Richard were born in England but emigrated with their family to New Zealand in 1966.
Ian was a founding member of iconic New Zealand band Th' Dudes, formed at Sacred Heart College in Auckland in 1975. He also had chart hits as a solo artist under the name Tex Pistol, and in collaboration with his brother Rikki as Tex Pistol and Rikki Morris. As recording engineer and record producer, his production credits include a number of successful Kiwi artists: Hello Sailor, DD Smash, The Screaming Meemees, The Warratahs, When the Cat's Away, Greg Johnson, Dave Dobbyn, and Southside of Bombay to name a few. Morris also wrote numerous jingles, arrangements, and orchestrations.

Discography

As solo artist

Albums

YearTitleDetailsPeak chart
positions
YearTitleDetailsNZ
1988Nobody Else
28

Singles

With Th' Dudes

Other contributions

RIANZ

APRA

In 2001, members of APRA were invited to vote on their favourite New Zealand songs of all time. Of the final 100, 2 Morris-related songs appeared on the list.
Morris was married to singer Kim Willoughby of New Zealand's most successful all-female group When the Cat's Away, with whom he had two daughters, Julia and Maude, and a stepson, James.

Death

Morris died at Te Pania Hotel in Napier on 7 October 2010. Police noted that there were no suspicious circumstances to his death.
Morris was posthumously inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.