MIDGE MARSDEN

 

 

Midge Marsden is the ultimate act when it comes to a dynamic night of Rhythm & Blues and Rock & Roll.

Midge continues to tour throughout the country with full band and also as popular duo act with one of New Zealand's finest entertainers, Chet O'Connell.      

In either format these guys deliver every time, and you are guaranteed a night to remember. 

​

​

New Zealand's legendary music icon Midge Marsden needs no introduction...Midge's career spans five decades, and during that time he has played thousands of concerts in New Zealand and introduced several generations of Kiwi's to the Rhythm & Blues.

 

An early career change and passion for R & B and roots music led a sixteen-year-old Midge to join the 1960’s band ‘Bari and the Breakaways’. At the end of the 60’s Midge joined the NZBC working in radio, however music performance pulled him in again with the Wellington cult band ‘The Country Flyers’; followed by several years in Australia with ‘The Phil Manning Band’. On return to New Zealand in the mid 80’s he began a solo career forming ‘The Midge Marsden Connection’ and then ‘The Midge Marsden Band’.

​

This resulted in several albums and a loyal fan base and following. Midge’s career highlight was the 'Gold' selling album ‘Burning Rain’ in 1990.

​

Midge has toured the USA many times, each time befriending artists such as Little Willie Foster, Bobby Mack &, Ronnie Taylor.  He encouraged all these artists to tour New Zealand, which helped broaden New Zealanders' appreciation of blues music. Marsden was also a friend of Stevie Ray Vaughan; upon living in Texas at various times he would stay at Vaughan's house for months on end. He toured with Stevie a few times, playing harmonica.

Midge graduated with a diploma in southern studies at the University of Mississippi in 1996 and on his return to New Zealand he went on to tutor at Waikato Institute of Technology in "Bluesology."

 

In 2006, Midge was made a member of the New Zealand 'Order of Merit' for services to music.