Max McCauley


Southland country and western yodeller Max McCauley learned his first guitar chords on compulsory military training in Burnham in the mid-1950s. During the following six decades he released records on Viking, Master and its successor Music World, and independently.

Along the way McCauley performed his earliest shows with two men destined to go on to fame with Ray Columbus and The Invaders, started his own promotions company with fellow musicians, toured alongside Howard Morrison, Paul Walden, John Hore and Maria Dallas and appeared on the NZBC television show The Country Touch.

Max McCauley is a New Zealand yodeller, and stalwart of Southland music, who became prominent on the Viking label in the 1960s
Max McCauley of Mataura, from Joy, 17 August 1959. An example, said promoter Joe Brown, "of a young artiste typical of many who could do well, given the chance."
Dusty Spittle (left) and Max McCauley in the 1960s. Photo credit: Max McCauley collection
Photo credit: Max McCauley collection
Inaugural NZ Country Music Recording Artists Awards winners, Invercargill, 1980. Back, left to right: Les Thomas, Greg and Richard Harrison (Ovation), Maaki Goodwillie, Nola McCrorie, Cole Wilson and Colin McCrorie (The Tumbleweeds), Gray Bartlett, Eddie Low, Noel Burns, Ian Murdoch. Front, left to right: Max McCauley, Helen Harrison and Neville Tosach (Ovation), Patsy Riggir, Suzanne Prentice, Brian McCauley, Noel Parlane. Photo credit: Max McCauley collection
Photo credit: Max McCauley collection
Max McCauley, 2014
Max McCauley with copies of his newly released 2014 independent release 50 Years On. Photo credit: Max McCauley collection
Photo credit: Max McCauley collection
Southern Hayride at the Paihia, Bay of Islands, country-rock festival, 1990s. From left: Reg McTaggart, Maureen Thompson, Margaret Bates, Max McCauley. Photo credit: Max McCauley collection
Photo credit: Max McCauley collection
Max McCauley is inducted into the Hands of Fame at Tamworth, Australia, 2000. Photo credit: Max McCauley collection
Photo credit: Max McCauley collection
Max McCauley being presented with a gold disc by Stewart Abernathy, on behalf of Hoghton Hughes and the  Christchurch-based Music World label
Maria Dallas tour entourage, Christchurch, early 1967, with Tony and The Initials and Ken Lemon. From left, back row: Tony Eagleton, Don McMillan, Jim Pilcher; middle row: Terry Collier, John Naylor, Ken Lemon, Bruce Warwick; front: Leo Clarke, Maria Dallas, Max McCauley. Credit: Jim Pilcher collection
Photo credit: Jim Pilcher collection
On the Maria Dallas tour, 1967, from left: Bruce Warwick, Max McCauley, Jay Epae, Ken Lemon, George Tumahai
Photo credit: Max McCauley collection
Max McCauley with The Tunesmen, Caroline Bay Soundshell, Timaru, 1960s. From left: Colin Thomas, Angus Buchanan, Max McCauley, Les Thomas. Photo credit: Max McCauley collection
Photo credit: Max McCauley collection
Max McCauley at Gore Country Music Club, 2014
Max McCauley and Suzanne Prentice are inducted into the Hands of Fame at the NZ Gold Guitar Awards in Gore, 1993. Photo credit: Max McCauley collection
Photo credit: Max McCauley collection
The Travellers, 1960s, from left: Frank Bellew, Max McCauley, Ray Ferguson
Photo credit: Max McCauley collection
Max McCauley and The Mountaineers in the 1960s. Left to right: Garth Gibson, Max McCauley, Francis Steel. Photo credit: Max McCauley collection
Photo credit: Max McCauley collection
Trivia:

Max McCauley has never parted with the guitar he used on his debut Viking release Yodelling Out West in the early 1960s despite the finish being burned off the then new instrument when it was left too close to the heaters in the implement shed the EP was recorded in.

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