Portrait of John Rowles

Birthday profile

John Rowles

John Rowles, New Zealand-Australian singer-songwriter

Born
March 26, 1947
Age in 2026
79
Zodiac sign
Aries
Birth year
1947

About John Rowles

Sir John Edward Rowles (born 26 March 1947) is a New Zealand singer. He was most popular in the late 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s, and he is best known in New Zealand for his song "If I Only Had Time" and from 1970, "Cheryl Moana Marie", which he wrote about his younger sister == Early years == Rowles was born in Whakatāne, New Zealand, and is of Māori descent. His father, Eddie Hohapata Rowles, played rugby union for the 1938 Māori All Blacks. His mother was European. He was brought up in Kawerau in the Bay of Plenty of New Zealand, and spent much of his early childhood in Te Atatū South in West Auckland. Rowles' birth name was simply John Rowles; he added the middle name "Edward" after his brother of that name died at a young age. == Career == Rowles is best known in New Zealand and Australia, though he has also performed in the United States, particularly Las Vegas, Nevada, and Hawaii, where he was managed by Kimo Wilder McVay. In the United Kingdom, he is best known for the hit "If I Only Had Time", which reached number 3 on the UK Singles Chart in spring 1968, and stayed on the chart for eighteen weeks. This was a cover version of the French song "Je n'aurai pas le temps" with which the French singer Michel Fugain had a hit in 1967; he co-wrote the song with Pierre Delanoë. The song also charted in the Netherlands, reaching number 2, after which the Franck Pourcel Orchestra had a minor hit with an instrumental version of the song, bearing the original French song title.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Career and life highlights

John Rowles timeline

  1. In the United Kingdom, he is best known for the hit "If I Only Had Time", which reached number 3 on the UK Singles Chart in spring 1968, and stayed on the chart for eighteen weeks.
  2. His sister Tania Rowles was a recording artist whose single "Don't Turn Around" was released on the RCA label in 1986.

The world when John Rowles was born

John Rowles was born in 1947. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1947

  • #1 song"Near You" – Francis Craig
  • Top movieMiracle on 34th Street
  • Top TV showHowdy Doody
  • Best-selling bookThe Diary of a Young Girl – Anne Frank

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentJackie Robinson breaks baseball's color barrier
  • Top headlineJackie Robinson breaks Major League Baseball's color barrier
  • Technology milestoneTransistor invented at Bell Labs
  • Defining fadFlying saucer mania
  • Notable inventionPolaroid instant camera
  • World population2.47 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderHarry S. Truman
  • Sports championNew York Yankees (World Series)
  • Also wonPhiladelphia Warriors (BAA)
  • U.S. population144.1M

1947 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in John Rowles's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19472026
Gas$0.23$3.45/gal
Average home$7,800$435,000
Average income$4,700$67,500
Minimum wage$0.40$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$0.40$11.95
Postage stamp$0.03$0.73
Population144.1M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, MusicBrainz. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.