Mobile venue expert
Died aged 70
Few music fans will have realised that the recent death of Ray Channon marked the end of an era in the history of live music in New Zealand.
Ray was instrumental in encouraging live music shows and other top attractions to New Zealand.
He created the mobile stage, lighting rigs and purpose-built transport vehicles for the live shows that visited New Zealand throughout the 1970s and 80s.
His foresight and creative attitude to staging and lighting gave promoters the confidence of being able to draw big enough crowds and sell enough tickets to bring top overseas acts to New Zealand audiences.
Ray Channon, of Associated Theatre Services, was a carpenter by trade.
In his early years he also worked at His Majesty's Theatre in Auckland as a stage hand and built sets for shows.
He loved live productions and saw the potential in this field.
Over the years, Ray's interest in live shows extended into developing big outdoor staging, and huge lighting rigs.
His mobile stage could be erected in hours at venues around New Zealand.
This gave promoters such as Paul Dainty Corporation, Harry M Miller, Ian Megan, Mike Chugg, Phil Warren, Michael Edgely and Kevin Jacobsen the confidence to bring some of the biggest acts in the world to New Zealand. Stars they toured included the Rolling Stones, Joe Cocker, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Dire Straits, Simon and Garfunkel, Neil Diamond, Pavarotti and Tina Turner.
Others were British Olympic ice skaters Torville and Dean, comedian Dave Allen, the Eagles, the Police, Cliff Richard, the Osmonds, John Denver, AC/DC, Neil Young and the Beach Boys.
New Zealand opera star Kiri Te Kanawa also performed on Ray's stage.
His 372sq m stage with a 557sq m roof could fold like a concertina and be towed behind a truck.
Ray pioneered this technology, making the first foldable stage of its type.
In Auckland the crew would go into Western Springs on a Saturday night after the speedway racing was over to set up for a Sunday concert.
Afterwards the stage could be disassembled within hours and taken by road to its next stop.
The enterprise also created jobs, and some staff stayed with Ray for 30 years.
He also helped the television industry for many years, supplying purpose-built lighting rigs for shows.
In later years Ray decided to centralise his operation in a large circus tent. The tent, the size of a football field, was set up at Mount Smart Stadium.
The venue became known as the Supertop and over 10 years it housed many concerts, including the Big Day Out events.
Ray retired last year when the Supertop's ground lease expired.
His legacy lies in people's memories of the live music and on-stage entertainment under the powerful mobile lighting seen at Western Springs, Athletic Park in Wellington, the Auckland Domain and Hagley Park in Christchurch.
Ray Channon is survived by his wife Elise, son Nigel, daughter Marie and grandchildren.
