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Ian Gordon Morris (22 January 1957 – 7 October 2010), also known by the stage name Tex Pistol, was a New Zealand musician, record producer, recording engineer and songwriter.

Musical career

Ian Morris and his brother Richard (who would also go on to become a successful singer, songwriter and sound engineer in New Zealand under the name Rikki Morris) were born in England but emigrated with their family to New Zealand in 1966. They attended Sacred Heart College, Auckland.

Ian was a founding member of iconic New Zealand band Th' Dudes, formed at Sacred Heart in 1975. He had chart hits as a solo artist under the name Tex Pistol (a name he took on because "Ian Morris sound poppy enough"), and in collaboration with his brother Rikki as Tex Pistol and Rikki Morris. As recording engineer and record producer, his production credits include a number of successful Kiwi artists: Hello Sailor, DD Smash, The Screaming Meemees, Naked Spots Dance, The Warratahs, When the Cat's Away, Greg Johnson, Dave Dobbyn, and Southside of Bombay to name a few. Morris also wrote numerous jingles, arrangements, and orchestrations.

Personal life

Morris was married to singer Kim Willoughby of New Zealand's most successful all-female group When the Cat's Away, with whom he had two daughters, Julia and Maude, and a stepson, James. He was separated from his wife at the time of his death.

Death

Morris had been suffering from depression and died by suicide at Te Pania Hotel in Napier on 7 October 2010. Police noted that there were no suspicious circumstances to his death.

Morris was posthumously inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.

Discography

As solo artist

Albums

Singles

As producer

Awards

RIANZ

APRA

In 2001, members of APRA were invited to vote on their favourite New Zealand songs of all time. Of the final 100, 2 Morris-related songs appeared on the list.

• #27, for "Be Mine Tonight" with Th' Dudes (1978)
• #50, for "Bliss" with Th' Dudes (1979)

See also

• Waikino music festival
• New Zealand music festivals
• Sweetwaters Music Festival

References

1. "Th'Dudes: Beginnings". IgMusic/Ian Morris. 2001. Archived from the original on 18 May 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
2. Glen Moffat (31 May 2016). "Rikki Morris - part 1". Audioculture.
3. Bourke, Chris (November 1988). "This Gun's for Hire". Rip It Up. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
4. "Dudes star mourned". APN News and Media. 8 October 2010. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
5. ^ "Coming to terms with suicide of a loved one". NZ Herald. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
6. "Th'Dudes guitarist Ian Morris dies". Fairfax New Zealand. 8 October 2010. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
7. "Th' Dudes are finding their Bliss again in the hall of fame". Archived from the original on 23 December 2019.
8. ^ "TEX PISTOL IN NEW ZEALAND CHARTS". charts.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
9. Morris, Ian. "Selected Discography". IG Music. Archived from the original on 19 August 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
10. "NZMAs". nzmusicawards.co.nz. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
11. "HOME INDUCTEES". www.musichall.co.nz. Retrieved 16 August 2021.

External links

• Ian Morris' igMusic website
• Th' Dudes official website
• Th' Dudes biography
• Th' Dudes
• 1998 Rip It Up interview with Chris Bourke
• 2001 Radio New Zealand interview, part one and part two
• Ian Morris sound recording archive at the Alexander Turnbull Library

• 2010 suicides
• APRA Award winners
• New Zealand male songwriters
• New Zealand record producers
• New Zealand audio engineers
• 1957 births
• English emigrants to New Zealand
• 2010 deaths