Ray Columbus

New Zealand rock and roll singer

Ray Columbus, OBE (born 4 November 1942, Christchurch, New Zealand – died 29 November 2016, Auckland, New Zealand) was a New Zealand singer, songwriter, television host, music manager and entertainer, with a career spanning six decades. He was the lead singer of Ray Columbus & The Invaders, known for their hit single "She's A Mod" released in 1964. After the Invaders, he launched a solo career in NZ and, for 18 months, in the US. From 1968 onwards he was heavily involved in artist management, working for Phil Warren until 1972, then on his own. He discovered the NZ band Zed (2) in the late 1990s, featuring the son of one of his 60's clients, Suzanne Lynch. For many years, he was also the writers' representative on the board of the Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA).