Ray Woolf  MNZM QSM

ROCKHAPPENZ Public Collection

Ray Woolf MNZM QSM  —  vocalist as a solo artist, and with The Embers, The Raytones, The Hi-Lites, The Newsounds, The Brew, The Mike Walker Trio and The Avengers
Thanks to Steve Hilliar for the profile pic.

Ray Woolf is best known as a solo singer, recording artist, actor and MC, and is one of New Zealand’s best-known entertainers.  He was born an only child in Dagenham, Essex, England on November 13th, 1944, beginning his musical career as a thirteen year old in London, prior to the Woolf family coming to New Zealand in 1962.  It was the beginning of the rock revolution and Ray was in three bands before arriving in New Zealand.  He sang in Auckland's Oriental Ballroom, was spotted, and referred to Aldred Stebbing who then signed him to ZODIAC RECORDS, and in late '62 he toured the country with Helen Shapiro.  He went on to appear in all the early television shows - IN THE GROOVE, C'MON, ON THE BEAT SIDE, and was resident on HAPPEN INN for two years, going on to host PLAY SCHOOL.  Ray sang the winning song on STUDIO ONE, and appeared in many shows before hosting TWO ON ONE in 1977 and 1978 and THE RAY WOOLF SHOW in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982. His list of television credits is extremely long and includes Xena, Young Hercules, Marlin Bay, Street Legal, The Ray Woolf Show, Starquest, Those Were the Days, Play it by Ear, In the Groove, The Strip, Shortland Street, Interrogation and Orange Roughies.  Ray's theatre performances have included, West Side Story, The Sound of Music, The New Rocky Horror Show, The Music Man, A Slice of Saturday Night, Blood Brothers and The King and I.

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..... Ray Woolf and The Avengers

Ray has toured New Zealand extensively and made numerous recordings, with a large number of singles and two albums (Heading For The Top, and Little Things That Happen).  Awards achieved are - Most Professional Performer in 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980. NZ Entertainer of the Year in 1975 and the Pegasus Award for Most Professional Entertainer (TV) in 1981, in 2007 a VAC Benny Award and ultimately, a 2008 MNZM.

A fabulous performer, Ray's first love has always been performing live, he believes there is a special magic in the live non-repeatable show.  He performs both solo and with his group.  His television acting career was also under way with a year on A GOING CONCERN in 1972, and he went on to do 3 seasons in MARLIN BAY and guest roles in HERCULES, ZENA, YOUNG HERCULES, STREET LEGAL, THE STRIP, ORANGE ROUGHIES, and more recently NOTHING TRIVIAL.  Musical Theatre was also on Ray's agenda beginning with HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON in 1980.  Then THE MUSIC MAN, A SLICE OF SATURDAY NIGHT, THE NEW ROCKY HORROR SHOW, BLOOD BROTHERS, GOLF, and over a hundred performances as Captain Von Trapp in THE SOUND OF MUSIC, The King in THE KING and I, and the Aussie production of WEST SIDE STORY.  Ray's movies include LUCY, BACK RIVER ROAD, MAIDEN VOYAGE, SUPER FIRE, KING KONG, INSATIABLE MOON, and SIEGE.

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Now a pensioner, Ray still performs in caberet and concerts and lives in the far north with his second wife Chrissy.  He has 12 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, supports Diabetes Auckland and is an ambassador for StarJam (for special needs children) as well as for The Prostate Cancer Awareness Foundation.