12th December 2015 GLO Spot Buskers session held at Music Works Rotorua. Local busking soldiers. / Rotorua GLO Tube
Rotorua's homeless have come together to pay tribute to one of their own who has died.
Corey Brown was one of the city's homeless but he was also known as the man with the golden voice, commonly found busking with a guitar on the streets in Rotorua.
Brown, 37, died on Thursday last week while with friends at a house in Rotorua.
Police have confirmed his death has been referred to a coroner.
His family took his body back to his home in Wainuiomata on Friday and his funeral is to be held tomorrow.
Brown's mother, Sam Murphy-Pirini, said her son suffered massive brain injuries from a car accident 11 years ago. She said he was in a coma for 17 days and when he woke, he had to learn to walk and talk again.
She said his life changed forever from that moment and the rest of his life was a constant battle to get help and housing.
Before his crash the father of five children had a good job and a normal functioning life in Wainuiomata, she said.
"Corey James was brought up around te reo Māori and tikanga, he went to Hato Paora College in Fielding and was known for composing haka and waiata."
Gina Peiffer, who runs Love Soup Rotorua that feeds the homeless in Rotorua, said Brown was a special member of the "streetie family" and had a "golden voice".
She said she had known him for more than four years and when he initially went to her organisation for help, he also volunteered as a way of giving back.
He would also on occasion sing and play guitar or piano at Love Soup Rotorua's dinner services for the homeless.
Given his popularity, Peiffer said they decided to open the Love Soup Rotorua doors earlier todayat 3pm to allow those who knew him to pay their respects.
She said many of the city's homeless were unable to travel to Wainuiomata for his funeral.
"It's an opportunity to grieve and share stories."
Corey Brown. Photo / Supplied
Peiffer said Brown's death was a tragedy because he was initially full of hopes and dreams.
A YouTube video from 2015 of Brown and two others shows off his skills as a singer after the trio entered the Glo Spot Busking Competition under the name Busking Soldiers.
"He wanted to do this and that with his music and do this with that job but he was knocked back so many times, he finally stopped getting up. He became that person everyone told him he was."
Peiffer said Brown had been living at the drop-in centre but had left about a month ago.
"He is such a wasted talent."
Friends have paid tribute to Brown on his Facebook page. Several have posted songs as well as words, including "[sic] Good bye and farewell to my bro my brother in arms RIP gonna miss you brother".
Another said "Travel safely back to your whanau my love" and another said "You will be so sadly missed Corey James".
Justan Juddy Wilson, who knew Brown through Victory Church, posted this morning on Facebook that he was going to start a support group in Rotorua in Brown's memory for anyone feeling they "are living below their full potential".
"This group will focus on getting to know the Lord and His plan for our lives. It will be an open group were people can share memories, dreams and hopes for the future in a confidential and non-judgemental space."
