Max Rowley, well known Australian radio actor, voice over talent and the founder of his own radio academy, has died aged 87.
It was confirmed on the Radio Rubber Room Facebook page on Friday May 3 that Rowley had passed away. His funeral service will be held at 2pm next Wes 8 May at St Thomas Church, Nth Sydney.
Rowley gained his professional radio start during the closing years of broadcasting’s ‘Golden Age’ of radio drama, working consistently with Grace Gibson, Artransa, 2UE, 2GB, 2UW, AWA and all ABC radio units. Max appeared in ‘classic’ serials such as ‘Portia Faces Life’, ‘Dr Paul’, ‘Mary Livingstone MD’, ‘The Guiding Light’, ‘Mary Lane’, ‘The Reverend Matthew’, ‘The Cattleman’, ‘Kid Grayson Rides the Range’, as well as features such as ‘A Town Called Alice’, ‘A Man Named Peter’, ‘Undercover Man’, ‘Danger Is My Business’, ‘Deadlier Than the Male’, ‘Scotland Yard Confidential’, ‘Edge of Darkness’ and dozens more.
His resonating tone could be heard as the session voice or “booth announcer” for many TV stations and shows over his long career. His radio promo and imaging sessions for close to 15 years included the John Laws Show. He was also the voice over announcer on It’s A Knockout and The Great Temptation and had a small acting role in the Australian mini-series Harp Of The South.
I went to Max Rowley media school with Brendan Jones. We had a blast. Max encouraged many people to have the confidence & professionalism to go into media. Although I didn’t eventuate into that career path, it lead to my ability to communicate with confidence which helped me in all of my life. Thank you Max.
To this day I thank Max for encouraging me to be the person I am today , my communicating skills derived from Max and to that I am eternally grateful.
It has come as a great shock to me to hear of Max’s death. My time with Max went all the way back to 1966 when I started at his school at the back of his parent’s place in Ashfield, Sydney. In 1967 I became his panel operator at 2CH for nearly three years before moving on to 2UW. It was through Max that I got that job through his friendship with the late Ray Bean. I eventually went all over the East Coast in radio as you do, ending up at 4BK in Brisbane. I had small amount of contact with Max over the years and hate myself for not being in touch more. I am, however, in touch with Max’s brother-in-law, Gary Gibson, through R.A.T.S. in Brisbane.
Vale my old friend, we had some good times back in the day at the Journo’s Club and the 729 Club…very drunken nights.
Along with guys like Trevor Sinclair, Rob Duckworth, Terry Daniel, Kim Dennison, Paul Cashmere , Mike Larkin, Pete Armstrong we all attended Maxs school in around 1976, we had a great time and Max was a great teacher