{{Short description|New Zealand music producer and entrepreneur}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=February 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
'''Murray Neville Thom''' {{post-nominals|country=NZL|ONZM|size=85%}} (born 19 July 1957) is a New Zealand businessman and music producer. He is best known for his collaboration with pianist Carl Doy, which resulted in their Together 10-CD collection being featured as one of Oprah's Favorite Things of 2002.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Reid |first=Graham |date=30 Dec 2002 |title=Kiwi singing all the way to the bank after Oprah plug |work=The New Zealand Herald |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/kiwi-singing-all-the-way-to-the-bank-after-oprah-plug/4OLWT4S3CE62CIEGSO3FL7QRFI/ }}</ref> Locally, his production company, Thom Productions is best known for the 12× platinum<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-12-15 |title=THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN SONGBOOK (2011): Songs from the great southern land |url=https://www.elsewhere.co.nz/absoluteelsewhere/4612/the-great-australian-songbook-2011-songs-from-the-great-southern-land/ |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=Elsewhere by Graham Reid |language=en}}</ref> Great New Zealand Songbook and The Great New Zealand Cookbook, which have also been released in numerous versions for other countries.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Sykes |first=Caitlin |date=18 Nov 2015 |title=Small Business: Diversifying - Murray Thom and Tim Harper, Thom Productions |work=The New Zealand Herald |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/small-business-diversifying-murray-thom-and-tim-harper-thom-productions/YVBFAF4H5QZ4OOZMT3C64PRFXI/}}</ref>
== Career ==
=== Music === Thom joined CBS Records International as a sales representative in 1979. He was appointed managing director of CBS in 1981, at that time the youngest CBS managing director in the world.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Reid |first=Graham |date=9 Nov 2002 |title=Murray Thom: Mr SXS |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/murray-thom-mr-sxs/NUT5AYUPWJA5VYTYN6SHEKQFJQ/ |work=The New Zealand Herald}}</ref> Thom left the corporate life to establish his own business<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=de Silva |first=Zac |date=15 July 2016 |title=Nurture Change business retreat: Taking chances with Murray Thom |work=Stuff.co.nz |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/82059022/nurture-change-business-retreat-taking-chances-with-murray-thom}}</ref> in 1986.<ref name=":2" />
He signed New Zealand recording artist Dave Dobbyn<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 Nov 2019 |title=Soundtrack to my Life: Murray Thom |work=The New Zealand Herald |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/soundtrack-to-my-life-murray-thom/VA2P5DBVFNCYNPQAYZUPIRCRXI/ |access-date=22 Dec 2023}}</ref> who had featured on the ''Footrot Flats'' album and together they produced the ''Loyal'' album.<ref name=":2" />
Thom discovered pianist Carl Doy playing in the lobby of an Auckland hotel in 1987 and together they produced their first album ''Piano By Candlelight'' in 1987.<ref name=":2" /> They have produced a number of recordings specifically for China.<ref name=":7">{{Cite news |last=Adams |first=Christopher |date=15 March 2010 |title=Doy plans to export piano hits to China |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/doy-plans-to-export-piano-hits-to-china/6V5ZTYSUIZTB3TNGPXB7RMC2NI/ |access-date=22 Dec 2023 |work=The New Zealand Herald}}</ref> In the US, the Together collaboration with Doy was packaged into a 10 CD and book collection,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hunter |first=Ian |date=27 Feb 2013 |title=Find your big business idea |work=Stuff.co.nz |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/unlimited/entrepreneurs/8323765/Find-your-big-business-idea |access-date=22 Dec 2023}}</ref> which Oprah featured on her show as one of Oprah's Favorite Things of 2002.<ref name=":1" />
In 1996 after seeing Rob Guest performing in the leading role of Jean Valjean in ''Les Misérables'',<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last=Thom |first=Murray |title=Eat, Drink and be Murray! |publisher=Thom Productions |year=2019 |isbn=9780473491192}}</ref> Thom signed Guest to a recording contract.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Murray Thom Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/murray-thom-mn0002039060 |access-date=2023-10-13 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}</ref> Guest's album ''Unmasked'' was released in 1997 by Thom.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Unmasked [sound recording] / Rob Guest. |url=https://natlib.govt.nz/records/20448579?search%5Bi%5D%5Bcreator%5D=Guest,+Rob,+1950-2008.&search%5Bpath%5D=items&search%5Btext%5D=You+and+me |access-date=2023-12-22 |website=natlib.govt.nz}}</ref>
Thom was the creator and executive producer of ''The Great New Zealand Songbook'' released in 2009.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Karen |first=Kotze |date=15 Jun 2009 |title=Love those Kiwi Songs |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/2456086/Love-those-Kiwi-songs |work=Stuff.co.nz}}</ref> The album went on to become certified 12× platinum.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gilchrist |first=Shane |date=28 August 2010 |title=Join the chorus |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/music/join-chorus |work=The Otago Daily Times}}</ref> Thom followed up with ''The Great Australian Songbook'' released in 2011.<ref name=":3" />
Thom collaborated with Neil Finn to re-record the war song "Blue Smoke",<ref>{{Cite news |last=Carter |first=Jim |date=2 April 2015 |title=Neil Finn revives Anzac anthem |work=The New Zealand Herald |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/neil-finn-revives-anzac-anthem/AQNR3V3KHTVNRNHBBBZWK52NJE/ |access-date=22 Dec 2023}}</ref> which was released on Anzac Day 2015, with proceeds going to the Returned Services Association.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-04-19 |title=Blue Smoke - Anzac Day 2015 |url=https://grownups.co.nz/interests/entertainment/blue-smoke-anzac-day-2015/ |access-date=2023-10-13 |website=GrownUps New Zealand |language=en-NZ}}</ref>
In 2019 Thom and Tim Harper produced The Offering Project,<ref>{{Cite web |title=An Offering for such a time as this {{!}} The Salvation Army |url=https://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/article/offering-such-time |access-date=2023-12-22 |website=www.salvationarmy.org.nz}}</ref> which was a collaboration between twelve New Zealand recording artists and twelve of New Zealand visual artists.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 April 2022 |title=Be Curious with Glorious |url=https://www.vervemagazine.co.nz/be-curious-with-glorious/ |work=Verve Magazine}}</ref> The concept was to record well known gospel hymns that were also interpreted by visual artists,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lexus Ambassadors Experience |url=https://www.lexus.co.nz/en/discover-lexus/ambassadors.html}}</ref> with all the proceeds going to the work of the Salvation Army in New Zealand.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Kiwi stars' major 'Offering' to The Salvation Army |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/kiwi-stars-major-offering-to-the-salvation-army/GR4AQ4GCUQOE3FAJ2EC442PFDY/ |work=The New Zealand Herald}}</ref>
=== Books === Following the release of ''The Great Australian Songbook'', Thom produced ''The Great New Zealand Cookbook''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Great New Zealand Cookbook |url=https://www.paperplus.co.nz/shop/books/non-fiction/cook-books/international-cooking/great-new-zealand-cookbook |access-date=2023-10-13 |website=Paper Plus}}</ref> – instead of 40 recording artists writing their lyrics, this was 80 cooks, chefs and bakers handwriting their recipes.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Murray Thom - The Great New Zealand Cookbook |work=Radio New Zealand |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/20154856/murray-thom-the-great-new-zealand-cookbook }}</ref> The book won the 2015 Gourmand World Cookbook award for ‘Best Easy Recipes’.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Winners by countries - Gourmand Awards 2015 |url=https://www.cookbookfair.com/index.php/component/k2/item/57-winners-by-countries-gourmand-awards-2015 |access-date=2023-10-13 |website=www.cookbookfair.com}}</ref>
Further publications were produced including ''The Great Australian Cookbook'' (2016),<ref>{{Cite book |title=Great Australian Cook Book |date=2015-01-01 |publisher=PQ BLACKWELL - CONSIGNMENT |isbn=978-0-473-32062-1 |language=English}}</ref> ''The Great South African Cookbook'' (2016),<ref>{{Cite book |last=Murphy |first=Toby |title=The Great South African Cookbook: The Food We Love from 67 of Our Finest Cooks, Chefs, Bakers, Farmers, Foragers and Local Food Heroes |date=2019-06-01 |publisher=Blackwell and Ruth Limited |isbn=978-1-928209-54-6 |language=English}}</ref> ''The Really Quite Good British Cookbook'' (2017),<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sitwell |first=William |title=The Really Quite Good British Cookbook: The Food We Love from 100 of Our Best Chefs, Cooks, Bakers and Local Heroes |date=2017-03-21 |publisher=Nourish |isbn=978-1-84899-328-0 |editor-last=Sitwell |editor-first=William |edition= |language=English}}</ref> with front cover art by Sir Peter Blake,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Adams |first=Tim |date=21 May 2017 |title=Sir Peter Blake: 'All a country has is its culture; the rest is infrastructure' |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/may/21/lunch-with-sir-peter-blake-mr-chow |access-date=22 Dec 2023}}</ref> and ''America The Great Cookbook'' (2017).<ref>{{Cite book |title=America The Great Cookbook |date=2017-10-31 |publisher=Weldon Owen |isbn=978-1-68188-282-6 |editor-last=Yonan |editor-first=Joe |language=English}}</ref>
Thom released his memoir ''Eat, Drink & Be Murray'' in 2019.<ref name="Hosking">{{Cite news |last=Hosking |first=Mike |date=22 November 2019 |title=Music businessman Murray Thom looks back on his career in new memoir |url=https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/murray-thom-music-businessman-looks-back-on-his-career-in-new-memoir/ |work=Newstalk ZB}}</ref>
==Honours and awards== In the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours, Thom was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the arts and philanthropy.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/kings-birthday-honours-2026-the-full-list-knights-dames-and-all-other-recipients/LLDSX5I7LRHDVD5FOYO2BOIGNE/ |title=King’s Birthday Honours 2026: The full list – knights, dames and all other recipients |date=1 June 2026 |work=The New Zealand Herald |access-date=1 June 2026}}</ref>
== Personal life == Thom's hobby is sailing and in 2005 won the World Laser Master Championships in Fortaleza, Brazil.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gladwell |first=Richard |date=9 Oct 2005 |title=Laser Masters- Thom Wins, so does Orams |work=Sail World |url=https://www.sail-world.com/Australia/Laser-Masters-Thom-Wins-so-does-Orams/-19452 }}</ref>
== References ==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Thom, Murray}} Category:Living people Category:1957 births Category:New Zealand record producers Category:New Zealand businesspeople Category:New Zealand writers Category:Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit