Freddie Keil was a musician most notable as a member of The

Keil Isles The Keil Isles were a New Zealand-based Rock & Roll group which consisted of the Keil Brothers, Olaf, Herman, Rudolf, Klaus and their cousin Freddie Keil. They were all Samoans with German ancestry. Band history Their lead guitarist Olaf Keil ...

in New Zealand in the 1950s and 1960s. The former dry cleaner was born in

Western Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

and was part German. He migrated to New Zealand. In the 1950s he joined cousins Olaf, Rudolf, Klaus and

Herma Keil Herma Keil along with brothers Olaf, Klaus, Rudolf and cousin Freddie Keil formed The Keil Isles in the 1950s which proved to be a popular hit making band. The band at one stage was billed as Herma Keil & The Keil Isles. He was their lead voca ...

and they became The

which went on to become one of

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

's most successful groups of the 1950s and 1960s. After having a falling-out with his cousin Herma he left the band and formed his own group The Zodiacs who were to eventually change into Freddie Keil and the Kavaliers. After releasing 11 singles on the

Zodiac Records Zodiac Records has been the name of at least six different record labels: *Zodiac Records (New Zealand), an Auckland, New Zealand label of Stebbing Recording and Sound *Zodiac Records, a New York City, United States company in the 1950s *Zodiac Re ...

label and an LP up to 1965 they broke up. Freddie Keil recorded some singles under his own name as well. Later Freddie Keil moved to Rarotonga in the

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

, married a

Cook Islander Cook Islanders are residents of the Cook Islands, which is composed of 15 islands and atolls in Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean. Cook Islands Māori are the indigenous Polynesian people of the Cook Islands, although more Cook Islands Māori cur ...

and had two daughters. Freddie also started the 'first' FM Radio Station in the

South Pacific Area The South Pacific Area (SOPAC) was a multinational U.S.-led military command active during World War II. It was a part of the U.S. Pacific Ocean Areas under Admiral Chester Nimitz. The delineation and establishment of the Pacific Ocean Areas was ...

at Rarotonga and long before New Zealand had ever gone FM. Keil died in 1994 in Rarotonga.

Discography

Freddie Keil and the Kavaliers

* I Found A New Love / Three Nights A Week – Zodiac Z-1063 – (1961) * What About Me / Take Good Care of Her – Zodiac Z-1079 (1962) * The Wanderer / Twisting The Night Away – Zodiac Z-1085 – (1962 * Should I / Its Only A Paper Moon – Zodiac Z-1105 – (1963) * All The Other Boys Are Talking / Take These Chains From My Heart – Zodiac Z-1109 – (1963) * Don't Try To Fight It Baby / No Signs of Loneliness Here – Zodiac Z-1114 – (1963) * Girls / Learnin', Trying To Forgive – Zodiac Z-1147- (1963)

The Freddie Keil Five

* Talk / Splish Splash – Zodiac Z-1187 (1964)

Freddie Keil

* The Twist / Tossin' And Turning Zodiac Z-1082 (1962) – (Note side 2 credited to The Kavaliers) * I've Got My Eyes on You / Move On – Zodiac Z-1177- (1964)http://www.simongrigg.inf
Zodiac 45s
/ref> * I Surrender Sweetheart / tapiri Mai – Armar AR-1001

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Keil, Freddie 1994 deaths New Zealand people of German descent Samoan emigrants to New Zealand Samoan people of German descent New Zealand pop singers Viking Records artists Samoan emigrants to the Cook Islands Year of birth missing