SUCCESS STORY OF NEW ZEALANDER

Grey River Argus, 12 November 1949, Page 2

SUCCESS STORY OF NEW ZEALANDER

Tex Morton, the New Zealander whose name is firmly established in the Australian entertainment world, has a success story which ranks high. His recordings of popular outdoor songs and ballads have achieved remarkable popularity and, in the period 1938-42, before the manufacture of records was limited by the shortage of materials, the sales of his recordings eclipsed in number the total of all other records on the market in Australia. Now 33 Morton left Nelson College in the depression years, when jobs were hard to get and made his way as a modern troubadour to Auckland. One of his first press cuttings was a notice in the Weekly News of items he sang as a lad from one of Auckland’s radio stations 16 years ago. He then went to Australia, shouldered a swag and roamed and worked in the back country where

he began collecting folk songs and putting to music ballads of the kind made famous bj' Banjo Patterson and Henry Lawson. A few recordings proved best-sellers and these, combined with radio appearances put him firmly on the road to success. Alorton made himself the Australian equivalent of the American singing cowboy and this clean-cut well-spoken New Zealander is known throughout the length and breadth of the Commonwealth. He is at present on a short tour of the four main cities and principal towns of lhe Dominion. He will leave shortly for the United States, where he will lake up a threevear contract for radio, television and film work in Hollywood. Tex Morton will introduce lhe famous overseas hypnotist Van Loewe to theatre-goers next Tuesday night at the Regent Theatre. '