Penguin Books Australia

One of pioneers of modern music in New Zealand, Ray Columbus began his career in 1959 at the tender age of 17. After more than four decades at the top of the New Zealand entertainment industry as a singer, songwriter, bandleader and TV star, and having hits with such classics as 'She's a Mod' and 'Till We Kissed', Ray is well and truly a household name.

Surprisingly, Ray's story has never been told: not fully, not in book form, and certainly not by him. Until now. The Modfather is the first authorised account of his unique life in music – growing up in the 1950s, early days as a teenage bandleader, stardom at home and abroad, rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous (Roy Orbison, The Rolling Stones and Tom Jones, to name just a few), reflections on an ever-changing music industry – and his ongoing influence.

Illustrated with photographs/ephemera from Ray's personal collection, it is at once a disarmingly candid memoir, a snapshot of a bygone era, a behind-the-scenes exposé and, more simply, a great read.