JohnMcCready
- Executive
With a career spanning half a century, there's not much in the entertainment industry John McCready hasn't seen. From record company A&R to radio management and TV programming McCready built a reputation as a tough competitor with his finger on the pulse of public taste.
Biography
With a reputation as a mover and shaker in the television industry, it's easy to forget John McCready had a 33 year career in music and radio before he came to the small screen.
McCready's career in music began quietly enough. Leaving Wellington Technical College in 1957 with no qualifications except a love of pop music, he was hired by Philips Records New Zealand as a warehouse assistant. By 1961 he'd been promoted to A&R and Promo Manager for the company, contributing to the early careers of New Zealand artists soon to become household names: Larry's Rebels, The La De Da's and the Hi-Revving Tongues among them.
Awards
1969 Sales and Marketing Executive International Awards
Distinguished Salesman Award
“With 20 Solid Gold Hits we had created a monster hit series that almost single handedly turned what was then the smallest division at Philips into its most profitable.”