# Peter Posa

Peter Paul Posa MNZM (8 August 1941 – 3 February 2019) was a New Zealand guitarist most famous for his instrumental "The White Rabbit", which was released in 1963. The song is a guitar instrumental that sold 100,000 copies.

## Career

Posa was born in West Auckland, New Zealand, on 8 August 1941 to Paul and Millie Posa, who had migrated from Croatia. Posa started learning the ukulele at the age of seven and formed his first band when he was 18 years old.
In the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours, Posa was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to entertainment. Posa died at Waikato Hospital on 3 February 2019 at the age of 77.
In 2012, White Rabbit The Very Best of Peter Posa went to the top of the New Zealand album charts, spending six weeks at the number-one spot.

## Discography
### Studio albums

List of studio albums :
| Title | Details |
| String Along With Peter | Released: 1961 Label: Zodiac (ZLP 1012) Format: LP |
| Tiki Tunes | Released: 1963 Label: Viking Records (VP120) Format: LP |
| The White Rabbit and Other Tunes for Playboys | Released: 1963 Label: Viking Records (VP107) Format: LP |
| Tiki Tunes | Released: 1963 Label: Viking Records (VP120) Format: LP |
| Mad Hatter | Released: 1964 Label: Viking Records (VP125) Format: LP |
| The Hitch-Hiker (with His Golden Guitar) | Released: 1964 Label: Viking Records (VP131) Format: LP |
| Flying High (with His Golden Guitar) | Released: 1964 Label: Viking Records (VP136) Format: LP |
| The Sound Of Peter Posa (with His Golden Guitar) | Released: 1965 Label: Viking Records (VP147) Format: LP |
| Beat Guitar (with His Golden Guitar) | Released: 1965 Label: Viking Records (VP159) Format: LP |
| This Is Peter Posa | Released: 1965 Label: Viking Records (VP167) Format: LP |
| The Posa Scottish & Irish Album (with The Thistlemen) | Released: 1965 Label: Viking Records (VP185) Format: LP |
| Guitar Sounds | Released: 1965 Label: Viking Records (VP192) Format: LP |
| My Kind of Pickin | Released: 1966 Label: Viking Records (VP215) Format: LP |
| Internationally Yours | Released: 1967 Label: Zodiac (ZLP 1030) Format: LP |
| Guitar Pops | Released: 1970 Label: Salem (XPS 5064) Format: LP |
| South Seas Guitars (with Bill Wolfgramme and His Islanders and Trevor Edmondson) | Released: 1970 Label: Salem (XPS 5064) Format: LP |

### Live albums

List of live albums :
| Title | Details |
| On Stage with Lou & Simon & Peter Posa (with Lou & Simon) | Released: 1964 Label: Viking Records (Viking VP138) Format: LP |

### Extended plays

List of extended plays :
| Title | Details |
| Peter Posa Hits (with His Golden Guitar) | Released: 1963 Label: Viking Records (VE 134) Format: LP |
| More Peter Posa Hits (with His Golden Guitar) | Released: 1964 Label: Viking Records (VE 136) Format: LP |
| Posa Plays Guitar Boogie (with His Golden Guitar) | Released: 1964 Label: Viking Records (VE 152) Format: LP |
| Posa Plays Westerns (with His Golden Guitar) | Released: 1964 Label: Viking Records (VE 153) Format: LP |
| Peter Posa Goes Gonk | Released: 1965 Label: Viking Records (VE 165) Format: LP |
| Maori Melodies On Guitar | Released: 1965 Label: Viking Records (VE 168) Format: LP |
| Do You Want to Dance? | Released: 1965 Label: Viking Records (VE 172) Format: LP |
| Gizmo | Released: 1965 Label: Viking Records (VE 203) Format: LP |
| Positively Posa | Released: 1965 Label: Viking Records (VE 217) Format: LP |

### Charting compilation albums

List of charting compilation albums, with New Zealand chart positions :
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
| Title | Album details | NZ |
| The Best of Peter Posa | Released: 1997 Label: BMG New Zealand (74321 508642) Format: CD | 37 |
| My Pick | Released: November 2003 Label: BMG New Zealand (82876577902) Format: 2x CD | 44 |
| White Rabbit: The Very Best Of | Released: July 2012 Label: Sony Music (88725430342) Format: CD, DD | 1 |
| Golden Guitar: The Peter Posa Anthology | Released: 2013 Label: Sony Music Format: CD, DD | 9 |
| Plays The Hits of the British Invasion | Released: June 2016 Label: Sony Music (88985337532) Format: CD, DD | 10 |

## Awards

In the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours, Posa was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to entertainment.

### Aotearoa Music Awards

The Aotearoa Music Awards (previously known as New Zealand Music Awards (NZMA)) are an annual awards night celebrating excellence in New Zealand music and have been presented annually since 1965.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2004 | My Pick | Worship of the Year | Nominated |
| 2013 | White Rabbit: The Very Best of | Highest Selling Album the Year | Won |
| 2020 | Peter Posa | New Zealand Music Hall of Fame | inductee |