More than 500 people gathered in Christchurch on Saturday to celebrate the life of Kiwi country musician John Hore Grenell.
Friends, family and fans of all ages congregated at the James Hay Theatre at 2pm on Saturday.
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 week at the age of 78 after suffering a heart attack.
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JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/Stuff
A public memorial service celebrating the life of Kiwi country musician John Hore Grenell was held in Christchurch on Saturday.
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, according to biographies by the New Zealand Music Commission and Christchurch City Libraries.
He grew up on the family farm in Kyeburn and attended Otago Boys’ High School in Dunedin.
Grenell 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.
JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/Stuff
The singer and songwriter was most famous for his version of Welcome To Our World.
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 more hit records.
Grenell ran a farm in Whitecliffs, Canterbury, and bred horses.
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