Story · Born 1960, Barnet, London
Both sides
of the glass
Roadie, sound engineer, pop star, TV presenter, producer, jingle writer, mentor and, after a 28-year wait, an album artist again. Rikki Morris has done just about every job there is in New Zealand music.
Chapter I · 1960 to 1985
The University of Life
Richard Ernest Morris was born in Barnet, North London, in August 1960. The family came to Auckland in 1966 and settled in Glendowie, where Rikki and his older brother Ian went through Sacred Heart College. Rikki was on stage from the age of seven, doing solo spots at the Scout Gang Show; at eight, he and Ian won the 1ZB Talent Quest singing The Seekers' 'Walk With Me'. In the fifth form he played Joseph in 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'.
School ended and the real education began. At 18 he went on the road as roadie and sound engineer for Th' Dudes, the biggest rock band in the country, for eighteen months of solid touring. Then came The Crocodiles, first behind the desk and then on stage with a guitar. His fifth gig with them was Sweetwaters, in front of 35,000 people, and he sang lead on their single 'Hello Girl'.
The early eighties took him to Sydney and London, cutting his teeth in bands like The Hanks and Lahore Safari, before he came home at the end of 1985.
Chapter II · 1986 to 1991
Nobody Else
Back in Auckland he played with The Vibe Brigade and The Rocking Lovegods, and kept writing. One of those songs was 'Nobody Else'. Ian, by then making records as Tex Pistol, heard it and insisted on producing it. In October 1988 it went to number one. It won Rikki Songwriter of the Year at the NZ Music Awards and was Highly Commended at the APRA Silver Scrolls, the only time that has happened.
That summer he toured the country supporting When The Cat's Away on what was then the biggest-grossing local tour in New Zealand history, and did it all again the following year. He co-hosted the after-school show '3:45 Live!', signed a publishing deal with Mushroom Records and moved to Melbourne, where he sang backing vocals for Jimmy Barnes' 'Soul Deep' shows alongside Debbie Harwood and Annie Crummer.
In 1991 'Heartbroke' won the APRA Silver Scroll outright.
Chapter III · 1992 to 2017
Other people's records
Mushroom ran into money trouble and the Australian album never came out. Back home, Rikki made 'Everest' with Split Enz's Eddie Rayner producing, released on his own Criminal Records through Warners in 1996, and went out supporting Bread and Hootie & the Blowfish. He hosted TV3's 'Get Your Act Together', sang at Christmas in the Park for 200,000 people, and joined Ian, the APO and a hundred-voice choir at Symphony Under the Stars.
Then he opened The Bus, a studio in Devonport, and for seven years recorded other people: Hammond Gamble, Graham Brazier, a platinum When The Cat's Away live album, and a stream of teenage bands who would go on to bigger things, among them Finn Andrews of The Veils, The Checks and Gin Wigmore. In 2010 he recorded a 13-year-old Ella Yelich-O'Connor in his lounge. All the while he was writing jingles, hundreds of them, and mixing live sound for everyone from Neil Finn to Mavis Staples.
In October 2010 Ian died. Rikki has paid tribute to him since, on stage with Th' Dudes and on record: 'About Time' carries Ian's name in its songwriting credits.
Chapter IV · 2018 to now
About time
In 2018 he went full time as front-of-house engineer and stage manager for Operatunity's touring concerts (these days it's a tour or two a year), and in October that year he finally walked into The Lab Studios with a band and four songs, Wayne Bell producing. Every New Year's Eve for twenty years he had promised himself this would be the year.
In 2019 he joined Th' Dudes at the NZ Music Awards as they were inducted into the Hall of Fame, and in 2020 he toured with them on the Bliss tour, singing the songs his brother co-wrote. 'The One Thing I Can't Live Without', his first new song in 25 years, went to number one on the New Zealand iTunes chart in 2021. For the 35th anniversary of 'Nobody Else' he re-recorded it with Anika Moa, for MusicHelps.
'About Time' arrived on 30 August 2024, with a cover painted by Steve Kilbey of The Church, and he took it on the road with Chet O'Connell on guitar and his daughter Oni Kidman opening. In 2025 he sang Dave Dobbyn's parts with Th' Dudes at Spark Arena and toured the summer with them, The Mockers and Stellar*; the band is his main focus on stage now, alongside the occasional solo show. In July 2026 came 'Back In Time', the singles, B-sides and rarities finally collected in one place. He's still mixing, still writing, and still keen to get behind a console.
Watch the film
Nobody Else: The Rikki Morris Story
Year by year
The timeline
- 1960
Born in Barnet, North London
Richard Ernest Morris. The family emigrates to Auckland in 1966 and settles in Glendowie.
- 1968
First prize: $10 and groceries
Aged eight, he and his older brother Ian win the 1ZB Talent Quest singing The Seekers' 'Walk With Me'.
- 1979
Roadie for Th' Dudes
Straight out of Sacred Heart College and into eighteen months on the road as sound engineer for the country's biggest rock band.
- 1981
The Crocodiles, and 35,000 people
Joins on guitar and vocals. His fifth gig is Sweetwaters. He sings lead on the single 'Hello Girl'.
- 1988
'Nobody Else' goes to number one
Written by Rikki, produced by Ian. It tops the NZ chart in October and wins Songwriter of the Year. He tours the country supporting When The Cat's Away.
- 1989
On television
Co-hosts the after-school show '3:45 Live!' for eight months, interviewing visiting international acts.
- 1991
APRA Silver Scroll
'Heartbroke' wins New Zealand's top songwriting award. He's now signed to Mushroom Records in Melbourne.
- 1996
Everest
His debut album, produced by Eddie Rayner of Split Enz. Tours with Bread and supports Hootie & the Blowfish.
- 1998
Christmas in the Park
Principal vocalist in front of more than 200,000 Aucklanders.
- 1999
The Bus
Opens a studio in Devonport. Finn Andrews, The Checks and Gin Wigmore make early recordings there over the next seven years.
- 2004
Jingle of the Year
The Thrifty Car Rental package wins the NZ Radio Jingle of the Year.
- 2010
Ian
Records a 13-year-old Ella Yelich-O'Connor covering 'Teardrop' in his lounge. Later that year he loses his brother and closest collaborator, Ian Morris.
- 2013
ENZO
Principal vocalist in Eddie Rayner's 'Stranger Than Fiction' Split Enz shows. Mixes Lloyd Cole's NZ tour.
- 2018
Operatunity, and a new album begins
Joins Operatunity as FOH engineer and stage manager. In October he cuts the first rhythm tracks for 'About Time' at The Lab.
- 2020
Back with Th' Dudes
Tours the country on the Bliss tour, taking Ian's place in the band.
- 2021
The first new song in 25 years
'The One Thing I Can't Live Without' tops the NZ iTunes chart.
- 2023
Nobody Else, again
A 35th anniversary recording with Anika Moa, raising money for MusicHelps.
- 2024
About Time
Opens the Sounds Series festivals with The Human League, then releases his first album in 28 years and takes it on tour.
- 2025
Th' Dudes, full tilt
Big festival shows with Th' Dudes, singing Dave Dobbyn's parts at Spark Arena in August, then the Ready To Roll summer tour with The Mockers and Stellar*.
- 2026
Back In Time
The singles, B-sides, rarities and demos, collected at last.
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