One of New Zealand’s most colourful radio hosts, Murray “Muzza” Inglis died on May 14 after a battle with myeloma. Inglis made his 80th birthday on May 12th, which as an “obstinate old Taurus” he’d set his mind to achieve.
Muzza began in radio six decades ago with the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation. After being told he sounded “too Kiwi” there, he moved to Australia, where he worked at 2WS and other stations here and back in New Zealand.
Inglis first announcing job in Australia was in 1964 at 5RM, Berri followed by stints at 3BO Bendigo and 7HO Hobart before moving back to NZ in 1970 to do evenings on Radio 1 Auckland. But, 16 months later he was back in Oz, stopping at 4AY, Townsville and 4BK Brisbane before ditch-hopping again to land at Radio Avon and then Hauraki.
His big break came in September 1977 when he was appointed the inaugural Breakfast announcer at 2WS , Sydney’s first new radio licence issued in more than 30 years.
In 1977, Inglis won a United States award from Billboard magazine as the South Pacific personality of the year. That same year, while working in Christchurch, on the “Muzza in the Morning” breakfast show on Radio Avon, Inglis threw a tantrum on air apparently in an argument with station management over his contract. He locked himself in the studio and continued to broadcast by himself for 48 hours. Few station staff knew that it was really a stunt. The sit-in story made headlines around the world.
In 2016, Murray Inglis was given an award for services to broadcasting by the New Zealand Radio Awards. Most recently he broadcast on the Devonport based station called the Flea, then later ran his own classic hits internet station from his lounge.
2WS photo: Blacktown City Libraries