Will Crummer is a

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singer and entertainer who was well known in the 1960s in both

Auckland, New Zealand Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...

, and the Cook Islands. He released EPs and albums during the 1960s, and along with

Pepe and the Rarotongans Pepe and the Rarotongans were a popular Cook Island music group fronted by a female singer, Pepe. They were active in the 1950s and 1960s. As recording artists, they had albums released on the Viking and Salem labels. Background The main force ...

, was a pioneering Cook Islands artist. His is also the father of singer Annie Crummer.

Background

In his teens, Crummer climbed coconut trees in his village to sing songs he had heard on the radio, including songs by

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and

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

. He moved to New Zealand in the early 1960s to work as a concreter, a job his brother had arranged for him. Crummer became well known in Auckland during the 1960s when the Polynesian music scene was popular. The band he became known for fronting was Will Crummer and the Royal Rarotongans, performing at venues such as The Orange Ballroom and The Reefcomber. He made some recordings in Auckland, his EP ''Rarotonga'' in 1962 and ''Cook Islands Magic'' the following year. He also released ''Romantic Rarotonga'' and ''Love Songs of Polynesia''. In 1968,

Viking Records Viking Records was an independent record label that featured many New Zealand and Polynesian recording artists. Background The company was founded in 1957. In the 1960s, the company was the largest locally owned record label in the South Paci ...

issued the compilation ''Action Rarotonga!'', which featured his group, Will Crummer and The Royal Rarotongans, as well as Pepe and The Rarotongans. Crummer performed in Tahiti, and Hawaii where he was offered a residency by a Hawaiian promoter. After performing there for a time, he broke his contract for personal reasons and headed back to New Zealand where he found work in warehousing. According to his daughter Annie, he gave up music to raise his family.

Later years

In 2011,

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released his album ''Shoebox Lovesongs''. Produced by Nick Bollinger and Arthur Baysting, it features his old friend Dinky Ngatipa and a string arrangement by

Don McGlashan Donald McGlashan (born 18 July 1959) is a New Zealand composer, singer and multi-instrumentalist who Is best known for membership in the bands Blam Blam Blam, The Front Lawn, and The Mutton Birds, before going solo. He has also composed for ci ...

. Daughter Annie and The Yandall Sisters also feature on the album. On Saturday, 25 January 2015, Crummer and his band, Will Crummer and the Rarotongans performed aboard HMNZS Otago to an audience of around 10,000. His daughter Annie was also at the event.''New Zealand Herald'', Monday 26 January 2015
Auckland Anniversary Weekend: Music, food and fun - what's on today? By Tom Carnegie
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Discography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crummer, Will Viking Records artists Cook Islands music Cook Islands musicians