Well known Kiwi country music figure Bernie Griffen has died, aged 72

Well known Kiwi country music figure Bernie Griffen has died, aged 72, his partner of 42 years has confirmed.

Kirsten Warner told Stuff that Griffen passed away on Wednesday morning from complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

A long time host of 95bFM’s Border Radio show, Griffen’s music ranged from driving blues to whimsical country swing, classic folk to Latin rhythms.

In an article for Audioculture, Trevor Reekie wrote that Griffen was born in Wellington and raised in Johnsonville.

In the early years of his music career, he played folk clubs in Wellington, but it was a competitive scene and caused him issues with confidence and self-esteem.

Griffen worked on prawn boats in northern Australia for six years, before returning to New Zealand.

He and some partners established Progressive Music Studios in central Auckland, and it was there that he joined the band The Pleasure Boys, playing bass, in the early 1980s.

In 1991, Griffen started playing solo gigs, and in 1995 set up a label, Sun Pacific Records. He provided some of the push for the growth of alt-country on his Border Radio programme on 95bFM.

In 2000, he was working on building a catalogue in conjunction with small indie labels such as Ode Records. He also bought the distribution business Global Routes Music.

As technology changed the industry, Griffen was intent on building a stronger independent label community.

He was instrumental in setting up the organisation Independent Music New Zealand, to help fund independent music and lobby radio and government for more New Zealand content on air.

In the early 2000s Griffen started playing with musicians who would become the band The Grifters – the band supported a number of international acts, including Emmylou Harris.

Griffen also worked with musician Dave Khan on the hugely successful The Gunslingers Ball gigs, “straddling the divide between heartfelt alt-country, raucous blues, rockabilly brashness and punk bristle”.

At the 2019 Taite Music Prize, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern presented Griffen with the debut Independent Spirit Award in recognition of “a New Zealand person who assists our musicians to grow and find their own unique pathways”.