Story: Folk, country and blues music

Johnny Cooper and the Range Riders, mid-1950s

Johnny Cooper and the Range Riders, mid-1950s

Johnny Cooper (centre) is shown with his band the Range Riders at the Paramount Theatre, Wellington, in the mid-1950s. Dubbed the 'Māori cowboy', Cooper had a number of hits in 1955, including the country ballad 'One by one' and his own composition 'Look what you done.' The Range Riders were (from left) Don Aldridge, Jim Gatfield, Cooper, Will Lloyd-Jones and Ron James. A year later Cooper switched to the new genre of rock 'n' roll, having a big local hit with his own version of Bill Haley's 'Rock around the clock.'

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Johnny Cooper Collection (PA-Group-00836)
Reference: PAColl-10069-1-04

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Chris Bourke, 'Folk, country and blues music - Country music branches out, 1950s onwards', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/42443/johnny-cooper-and-the-range-riders-mid-1950s (accessed 10 June 2023)

Story by Chris Bourke, published 22 Oct 2014