John O'Connor is an esteemed guitar player, musician, composer, and recording engineer who has had a prolific career in the New Zealand music industry for over five decades.

John began playing the guitar at age 10 and took lessons for several years from renowned Wellington musician & arranger Bill Hoffmeister.

John's professional musical career began as a high school student at Onslow College when he & his friends formed the Supernatural Blues Band. They made a name for themselves on the local blues circuit, playing clubs, university gigs & local & national blues festivals. In 1969 they released an original single ‘Out in the Cold’ on the Ode label & this featured prominently on playlists at the time.

In 1970, he played with the band Mephisto on the ‘Northern Star’ cruise ship, earning his passage to England.

On his return to Wellington, John, on guitar and vocals, was a member of the band Redeye, described as one of the busiest live and recording bands in New Zealand in the 1970s. In 1977, Redeye released their self-titled album for EMI. Redeye also appeared regularly on TV1's television shows "Ready to Roll" and "Grunt Machine."

John performed as a session guitar player and contributed guitar and backing vocals to Mark Williams' self-titled solo album, released by EMI in 1975. Over his career he has played with global touring artists such as Chuck Berry, Spencer Davis & Bo Diddley. He toured with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) during the Kiri Te Kanawa Homecoming tour in Auckland in 1990.

John's guitar talent is on numerous other recordings. Since 1974, he has collaborated with artists such as Mark Williams, Patsy Riggir, Jodi Vaughan, Brendan Dougan, and Annie Whittle. John's involvement with the NZSO also included recording the "NZ Suite" by Ron Goodwin in 1983.

John's solo album, "Conversations," was released under ODE Recordings in 1986.

In 1987, John designed and constructed a recording facility in Wellington, demonstrating his multifaceted skill set. This space facilitated his music production for various mediums, including radio and television commercials for brands like Telecom, Honda, BNZ, Mobil, and BP. He contributed to Peter Jackson's early films, "Bad Taste" (1987) and "Braindead" (1992), where he showcased his guitar prowess. In collaboration with George Packard, John recorded and co-composed a meditation music album.

John continues to perform in bands - you can currently see him play with Laura Collins and the Back Porch Blues Band.

Parallel to his writing and performing career, John has taught through private guitar lessons and as a music tutor at Whitireia since 1996. He graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Arts (Music) in 2014.

John composes, records and produces his own original music, which is available for licensing through New Zealand music production and publishing company Woodcut Productions. He's a member of APRA, a testament to his professional standing in the industry.

John O'Connor's enduring dedication, versatile expertise, and impactful contributions make him a well-respected and prominent figure in the New Zealand music scene.