Renowned New Zealand singer and trailblazer Daphne Walker has passed away.
Videos by Suggest
The beloved singer died on Thursday, according to Radio New Zealand (RNZ). No cause of death was given. She was 94.
Walker is best remembered for his 1950s hit, “Haere Mai (Everything is Kapai).
According to the online music archive AudioCulture, Walker, who reportedly suffered from stage fright, was the standout vocalist on New Zealand’s first-ever pop album, South Sea Rhythm. Her passing marks the close of a significant era in the country’s music history.
AudioCulture Content Director Chris Bourke described Daphne Walker as one of the nation’s pioneering singing sensations..
“She had this velvet voice,” Bourke said.
“She sang with the romance of a film about an idyllic Pacific, she has the easy warmth of the islands, is what Nick Bollinger said about her, and she had glamour as well,” he explained.
Bourke noted that Walker played a significant role in the creation of New Zealand’s first 10-inch album, South Sea Rhythm, where she received co-billing for her contributions.
“It’s very sad to see the end of an era with the departure of Daphne Walker,” Bourke added.
Talent Contest Led to Daphne Walker’s Recording Career
Walker was born on Great Barrier Island on Sept. 25, 1930. In 1949, she won a talent contest and began performing 15-minute live broadcasts on 1YA radio with Bill Wolfgramm on steel guitar and Johnny Bradfield on guitar.
Her first recording, “Haere Mai,” was released on the Tanza label in 1955 and sold over 40,000 copies. She recorded over 30 tracks for Tanza, including the hit “Hootchy Kootchy Henry” in Samoa. Her final release was the 1966 album Coconut Grove.
In 2012, she received the prestigious Nostalgia Award from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand.