years_active alias birth_place article_title instruments name background birth_date genre image origin birth_name
1966-present john edward rowles whakatane , new zealand john rowles
 vocals john rowles solo_singer 26 march 1947 pop john rowles.jpg new zealand john rowles
john rowles

john edward rowles obe -lrb- born 26 march 1947 -rrb- is a new zealand singer .
he was most popular in the 1970s and early 1980s , and best known in new zealand for his song `` cheryl moana marie '' , which he had written about his younger sister .
rowles was born in whakatane , new zealand , and is part māori .
his father , eddie hohapata rowles , played for the 1938 māori all blacks .
his mother was pākehā .
he was brought up in kawerau , in the north island of new zealand .
rowles ' birth name was simply john rowles ; he added the middle name `` edward '' after his brother of that name died at a young age .
rowles is best known in new zealand and australia , though he has also performed in the united states , particularly las vegas , nevada and hawaii , where he was managed by kimo wilder mcvay .
in the united kingdom he was best known for the hit `` if i only had time '' , which reached number 3 in the uk singles chart in spring 1968 , and stayed in the chart for eighteen weeks .
this was a cover version of the french song `` je n'aurai pas le temps '' with which the french singer michel fugain , had a hit in 1967 .
rowles had another top 20 hit in the uk with `` hush ... not a word to mary '' , also in 1968 .
