Ian Morris (musician)

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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 [didn't] sound poppy enough"<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>), 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.Template:Cn

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was separated from his wife at the time of his death.<ref name=":0" />

Death

Morris had been suffering from depression and died by suicide at Te Pania Hotel in Napier on 7 October 2010.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Police noted that there were no suspicious circumstances to his death.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Morris was posthumously inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Discography

As solo artist

Albums

Year	Title	Details	Peak chart positions
			NZ<ref name="nzchart">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1988	Nobody Else	Released as Tex Pistol Label: Pagan Records (PAL 1039)	28
2020	a and b the c of d	Released 2020 Label: IG Music (IGMLP001)	-

Singles

Year	Title	Peak chart positions	Album
		NZ<ref name="nzchart" />
1983	"Boot Up (x=y)" as Jag Moritz	—	Template:N/a
1986	"The Ballad of Buckskin Bob" as Tex Pistol	—	Nobody Else
1987	"Game of Love" as Tex Pistol	1
1988	"Nobody Else" as Tex Pistol and Rikki Morris	1
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

As producer

citation

CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Band	Album/Single	Producer	Engineer
Th' Dudes	Right First Time		Template:Yes
Hello Sailor	Hello Sailor		Template:Yes
Hello Sailor	Pacifica Amour		Template:Yes
Th' Dudes	Where Are The Boys?	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
DD Smash	Cool Bananas	Template:Yes
Screaming Meemees	If This Is Paradise I'll Take The Bag	Template:Yes
The Gurlz	The Gurlz mini-album	Template:Yes
Naked Spots Dance	New mini-album	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
The Hulamen	Start A Fashion mini-album	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
Jag Moritz	Boot Up	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
Circus Block 4	In Stone In Steel	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
Shadow Fax	Life Underground	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
Tex Pistol	"Game of Love"	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
Tex Pistol & Rikki Morris	"Nobody Else"	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
Rikki Morris	"Heartbroke Again"	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
The Warratahs	Big Sky	Template:Yes
The Warratahs	Wild Card	Template:Yes
Southside of Bombay	"What's The Time Mr Wolf?"	Template:Yes
Barry Saunders	Long Shadows	Template:Yes
Greg Johnson	Sea Breeze Motel	Template:Yes
Dave Dobbyn	Hopetown	Template:Yes
When The Cat's Away	Asian Paradise	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
Papa-Pa	My Black Jersey	Template:Yes	Template:Yes

Awards

RIANZ

RIANZ New Zealand Music Awards

Year	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Details	Result
1978	Engineer of the Year	Hello Sailor, Hello Sailor	Template:Won
1979	Single of the Year	'Be Mine Tonight', Th' Dudes	Template:Won
	Top Group	Th' Dudes	Template:Won
1982	Producer of the Year	Cool Bananas (DD Smash)	Template:Won
1986	Most Promising Male Vocalist	"The Ballad of Buckskin Bob" as Tex Pistol	Template:Won
	Best Engineer	Ballad of Buskin Bob, Tex Pistol	Template:Nom
1987	Engineer of the Year	"Game of Love", Tex Pistol	Template:Won
	Best Producer	"Game of Love", Tex Pistol	Template:Nom
1988	Single of the Year	"Nobody Else", Tex Pistol / Rikki Morris	Template:Nom
	Best Producer	"Nobody Else", Tex Pistol / Rikki Morris	Template:Nom
1990	Producer of the Year	"Heartbroke", Rikki Morris	Template:Won
	Best Engineer	Heartbroke, Rikki Morris	Template:Nom
2019	New Zealand Music Hall of Fame	himself (as part of Th' Dudes)	Template:Yes2<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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

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