Don McGlashan is one of New Zealand’s best-known and highly regarded songwriters, and with over 40 years in the music industry is set to be inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.
Video / NZ Herald
Music legend Don McGlashan needs little introduction in New Zealand, which is why it feels only right he’s landed this exciting new honour.
It was announced this morning that the composer, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist artist will be inducted into the Te Whare Taonga Puoro o Aotearoa (New Zealand Music Hall of Fame) at the 2023 Apra Silver Scroll Awards this coming October.
Known for creating the Kiwi staples such as Anchor Me and Dominion Road with The Mutton Birds, and Bathe in the River, the star is a staple figure in Aotearoa’s music industry. So much so, he’s often referred to as music royalty.
Now, his pivotal role in the music community has awarded him the ultimate honour and he admits it has made him feel “humbled”.
In a special video released this morning by the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame, the star says, “I feel really humbled and really privileged to have just heard that I’m going to be inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.”
Appearing to tear up, he adds: “Just to share that Hall of Fame with all the people back in New Zealand music history and current musicians, friends and colleagues that I’ve got, feels like something I never would have dreamed of growing up.”
Music legend Don McGlashan will be inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.
The beloved Kiwi musician shares that after 40-odd years of performing, people clearly still want to listen and it’s something that makes him feel “really blessed”. Despite this, he confesses he never would have thought music could be a viable option.
“I never really thought that this would be a career,” the star says. “I never really thought that I would have a career in music, I always imagined I’d do this for a while and then do something else that would feed the kids and not be so hand to mouth.”
Thanking his friends, fellow musicians and the Hall of Fame, McGlashan adds: “I feel really deeply that music makes people’s lives better.” It’s something that’s obvious with his next move.
Set to embark on his 26-day Take It To The Bridge Tour of the country from August to October, he will showcase his immeasurable talent while taking part in the creation of a feature documentary.
Due to be released next year, filmmaker Shirley Horrocks is currently working on the documentary that will chronicle McGlashan’s lengthy and memorable career - and there are plenty of mentionable moments to choose from.
The beginning
McGlashan made his debut in the music industry by playing French horn and percussion in the Auckland Symphonia (now known as the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra). He didn’t stay there long though and soon pivoted to experimental ensemble From Scratch, before becoming the singing drummer in art-pop band Blam Blam Blam.
His next stint saw a relocation overseas where he composed for dance ensembles in New York but it wasn’t his forever home and upon returning to New Zealand, he joined forces with Frank Stark, Geoff Chapple, Chris Knox, and Rick Bryant to create the protest song Don’t Go - which was against the proposed All Blacks tour of South Africa in 1985.
His theatrical duo, The Front Lawn with Harry Sinclair, came next before the star decided it was time to seriously focus on music, establishing The Mutton Birds.
The Mutton Birds
The Mutton Birds.
Made up of Ross Burge, David Long and McGlashan - with Alan Gregg joining a year later - The Mutton Birds became an iconic part of Kiwi music history, releasing four New Zealand top-10 albums.
The band also won multiple awards, including an Apra Silver Scroll Award in 1994 for their song Anchor Me and Album of the Year at the New Zealand Music Awards.
If it wasn’t already obvious from McGlashan’s career accolades, he isn’t a man who can sit still for long periods of time and always has to have something on the go, which is why it was no surprise when he began film composing while he was in The Mutton Birds.
The awards
Creating some of the country’s most recognisable film soundtracks including for An Angel At My Table, Dean Spanley, and No 2, he also wrote the hit song Bathe in the River, which was performed by Hollie Smith.
Quickly becoming one of New Zealand’s most iconic gospel-style anthems, the song won McGlashan a second Silver Scroll Award in 2006. The tune became such an identifiable part of Aotearoa’s music history that in 2020 it was translated into te reo Māori as part of the Waiata Anthems TV series.
Don McGlashan completed multiple writing residencies at the University of Auckland, and in Antarctica.
The award-winning, multi-talented artist didn’t stop there though. His career has also seen four solo albums, Warm Hand, released in 2006, Marvellous Year, released in 2009, Lucky Stars, released in 2019, and Bright November Morning, released in 2022 - which landed a top position on the charts and earned McGlashan his first number one album.
Other notable moments in the multi-talented star’s career have seen him complete writing residencies at the University of Auckland and in Antarctica, work on the hit children’s animation show Kiri & Lou, which was written and directed by his old Front Lawn bandmate, Harry Sinclair, and work as the writer-director on the Apra board from 2010 to 2016.
Hall of Fame
Joining The Topp Twins, Herbs, Dave Dobbyn and Bic Runga, among others, the 64-year-old star will be inducted into The New Zealand Music Hall of Fame at Auckland’s Spark Arena on Wednesday, October 4.
Included as part of the 2023 Apra Silver Scroll Awards - Kaitito Kaiaka, other awards on the night will include the Apra Silver Scroll Award - Kaitito Kaiaka, and the Apra Maioha Award - Tohu Maioha, which celebrates an exceptional waiata featuring te reo Māori.
Lillie Rohan is an Auckland-based reporter covering lifestyle and entertainment stories who joined the Herald in 2020. She specialises in all things relationships and dating, great Taylor Swift ticket wars and TV shows you simply cannot miss out on.
