Grenell can still draw big audience

MORE than 500 people gathered in Christchurch yesterday to celebrate the life of Kiwi country musician John Hore Grenell.

Friends, family and fans of all ages congregated at the James Hay Theatre.

The singer and songwriter, who made his first record in the 1960s under the name John Hore, was most famous for his version of Welcome To Our World.

He died last month at the age of 78 after suffering a heart attack.

People stopped at the entrance to the theatre to sign a memory book for the singer and songwriter.

It was a musical memorial service with songs and stories.

Candles were lit in front of a stage where Grenell’s songs were performed while the crowd sang along.

Grenell was born in 1944 in Ranfurly, Central Otago.

He toured the world in the 1960s and released a series of hit albums and singles. By the age of 19, he had sold 100,000 records.

In the 1970s and 80s, he took a break from the music industry to help build a trail ride tourist business in

Queenstown.

He returned to the music industry in the late 1980s under the name John Grenell and released a string of more hit records.