New Zealand singer Eddie Low has died at the age of 81 after battling cancer.
Low was born blind in Rotorua on May 14, 1943 after his mother contracted German measles and tuberculosis during her pregnancy.
Educated at the Foundation for the Blind in Auckland from the age of 5, Low started his first band as a 13-year-old with two friends, called the Three Blind Mice.
In 2006, Low was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to music.
In a statement released by family, his eldest daughter Maria Low said the musician “never thought of his blindness as a disability”.
“It was just something he happened to have. His only fear was that people would think he couldn’t do something because of his sight, but if anything, it made him even more stubborn, more determined, to prove he could do anything others could do, and more.
“The odds were stacked against Dad from the beginning, but he beat them one by one.
“He never knew how talented he was and how much he inspired all of us as well as other singers and musicians.”
Low is survived by three children, five grandchildren, one great-grandchild and his partner of five years.
A funeral service, which will be livestreamed, will be held in Christchurch.
A tribute concert is being planned in 2025 to honour his life, music, and legacy.
