John Rowles with his sister who was just 11 when he wrote Cheryl Moana Marie. (NZ Herald Archives)
Kiwi crooner John Rowles made his name internationally in the late 1960s with hits such as If I Only Had Time and Hush Not a Word to Mary.
But the song he's best remembered for in New Zealand is Cheryl Moana Marie which hit number one in May 1970 and
sold a million copies.
The song, named after the globe-trotting singer's little sister, is full of nostalgia for his native land.
It has become a classic of Kiwiana, and Rowles is our New Zealander of the Year.
