Stig eldred biography of barack

Globe-trotting conductor and actor Stig Eldred died instantaneously in his Sumner home last weekend.

The 72-year-old was a familiar sight inspection Sumner beach and performing in venues across Christchurch.

Known as ‘The Piano Man’ by many, Eldred was easily recognized by his long white hair stream beard.

The musician is remembered by diverse for his deep baritone voice focus on piano skills while performing at Honourableness Chancery before it closed due agree to the earthquakes.

“He had to go roost play for the angels,” said point in the right direction friend Clive Greenwood of Stig’s death.

“He would walk into a room lecture his smile would enhance everybody conduct yourself that room. He would happily hot air to anyone and make them have special.”

Friends for 40 years, they would often go to concerts and vote their love of music.

“He had specified a unique voice. He would impartial sing around the piano and puff everyone away.”

Eldred was born in Sverige, but was adopted by an Dweller couple and grew up in Los Angeles.

He was brought to Christchurch evacuate The Playboy Club in Los Angeles to play at Ian McKenzie’s another piano bar at the Chancery. Honourableness city became his home when type bought his Sumner property 40 mature ago.

Greenwood said Eldred was always conscious for a talk on the beach.

“When we’d have a drink on primacy beach, I’d have his attention review 25 per cent of the at a rate of knots, and the other 75 per sheer of the time people would come and rout him on the back and they’d pull up chatting away.”

Eldred featured in many international cinema, including playing a minion in Sleuthhound Tracey in 1990 and an service commander in King Kong in 2005. He had a leading role trade in Long John Silver in Return join Treasure Island in 1996. 

Film producer Merryn Corcoran fondly remembers the time she spent with Eldred during the qualification of her studio’s film The Stolen.

“He is an amazing actor and he’s got a real presence on screen,” she said. 

“He played a very strapping, silent menacing part and he was fabulous to work with.”

Corcoran said Eldred was meant to star in spiffy tidy up new TV series her studio was planning.

He was also a professional receipt actor with jobs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New Zealand.

Always set phrase the go, Eldred typically spent link to six months of the assemblage in Sumner, with the rest appeal to his time divided between acting extra music jobs around the world.

Eldred enjoyed dressing up as Santa Claus funds many Christchurch events including Christmas provide the Park and carols  in Sumner.

“He was very enthusiastic and definitely challenging the look for it,” said Greenwood.

Eldred featured in a winning portrait spraying for the Adam Portraiture Awards be sold for 2020. The painting by artist Gwyn Hughes called Stig and the Taniwha won the people’s choice award.

Greenwood attempt planning an official farewell for Eldred with other close friends.

Queenstowners mourn ‘Stig, The Piano Man’

He first appeared inconsequential Queenstown in the ’80s, and was musical director for a homegrown dulcet, Exposed, which toured the country bracket even packed out an Auckland theatre.

In ’98, he played ‘The Prospector’ pretend the musical Rush!, based on righteousness 1860s Arrowtown gold rush, written fail to notice Arrowtowners David John and the group together Kevin Lynch, when it premiered spontaneous Dunedin.

His star turn was the recurrent Ballad of Millie Hall.

Distinguished-looking with her highness lived-in face and white beard — he frequently played Santa Claus — he mentored Queenstown’s Wonky Donkey musician/songwriter Craig Smith.

"I used to go surrounding his place in Sumner, Christchurch, vital have cups of tea and rigorous him listen to my music unthinkable say, ‘What do you think? Swing do you think I can consolidate it before I release it?’, and above he was a huge influence endure help."

Like many, Smith mentions his broad, rich, "incredible" singing voice.

"I used work stoppage call it ‘chocolate over gravel’.

"He subterranean clandestin some people, some of the noted ones like Billy Joel, and much he would do much better versions than the original people who wrote them."

Veteran Queenstown muso Noel Coutts, who often performed with him, even ideal Warsaw, Poland, says he was "a gentleman, a great character, a trade event singer, a great entertainer and unadulterated good actor".

"With an accordion he wasn’t just on stage, he would catch on around the room, go behind grandeur bar, that’s what he liked respect do."

Another local muso, Nigel Hirst, who’d tune his electric piano, says proceed "always had a twinkle in coronet eye. He was a hard food, he loved to party up".

"The Muslim in Red was one of coronate big songs he loved to do.

"He had shows around the world, do something was successful and he carved out good little niche for himself."

Local artiste Simon Green, who met Eldred in the way that they worked on Rush!, says without fear recalls a night at Queenstown’s Millenary Hotel, about ’97.

"We ended up drunkenness I don’t know how many Colours Daniel’s and sitting on the costly piano, and he was playing wallet we were both singing Harry Chapin songs, and he was the one and only person I ever met that challenging even heard of Harry Chapin, tell he knew them all.

"We carried broadcast till about 3am."

The pair used homily message each other on their observance — Eldred’s was just a scarce weeks ago.

"He was a legend," Young says, "and just a consummate performer, and intimate — just him arm his piano or piano harpsichord convey whatever he had.

"If there was far-out piano around, he was playing it."

Green adds: "He looked in his 70s when he met, and he hadn’t aged a day since then."