Donna Dean and Rod Mackinnon

Donna Dean has been a waitress, a Nanny, an oyster cook, and played music in a high security ward for the mentally ill. She's also singer-songwriter whose music and back story became a documentary.
Join Donna in concert as she takes you into the backyards, living rooms, work places and kitchens of real people, to small towns and wide-open spaces. Songs about life.

Rod Mackinnon grew up in Westland. He bought his first guitar for 8 pounds, avoided the coal mining jobs at the Stockton Mine and moved to Wellington in the 60's, where he played at Monde Marie Cafe. Rod recalls mingling with artists such as Judy Collins, Josh White, Ravi Shankar and William Clauson there. He soon had a contract with HMV and recorded his first singles, with Bruno Lawrence on drums. Radio was generally very supportive of MacKinnon’s singles; two were released in 1965 and two in 1966. (Audio Culture). Since the heady days of the 60s MacKinnon has retained a keen interest in music. MacKinnon’s HMV recordings have been compiled and digitally re-issued under the title Hard Rain. https://www.allmusic.com/album/hard-rain-mw0003196517