John Maxwell CryerMBE (10 December 1935 – 25 August 2021), generally known as Max Cryer, was a New Zealand television producer and presenter, radio broadcaster, entertainment producer, singer, cabaret performer and writer.[1]
Cryer was born in Ōtāhuhu in 1935, the son of East Tāmaki farmer Arthur John "Jack" Cryer and his wife Jane Stewart.[2][3][4] He began learning the piano at the age of five and later played the double bass in the Auckland Junior Symphony Orchestra.[5] He graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Arts in 1958, and a Master of Arts with second-class honours in etymology and linguistics in 1959.[6][7] After graduating in 1960, Cryer spent a year in Perugia, Italy studying singing and Italian.[5][8]
Careeredit
While studying in Italy in 1960, Cryer earned money as a model and film extra.[8] He then moved to London where he sang with the Sadlers Wells Company.[8] Returning to New Zealand, he taught English and music at Otahuhu College and also began appearing on television as an interviewer and as host of quiz show 'Top of the Form'.[8] Cryer hosted an entertainment show called 'Cryer and the children' which ran for 10 years and resulted in 15 albums of songs.[9][10]
In 1977 he moved into TV production producing programmes such as Mastermind and University Challenge.[7]
Cryer was a host for radio and TV events including the first TV coverage of the Mobil Song Awards in 1963, and in 1969 the first nationwide simulcast of TV and radio and the first time TV was linked throughout New Zealand.[7]