By admin 
Introduction
For years, the New Zealand Billy Fury Fan Club has been one of the most passionate and inventive tribute communities anywhere in the world. Led by the ever-energetic Moya Gleave, the club has turned its admiration for Britain’s “Gentle King of Rock ’n’ Roll” into a long-running string of creative events, fundraisers, and celebrations—not only honouring Billy’s legacy but raising tens of thousands of dollars for charitable causes across the country.
The club’s purpose is simple: to have fun, to keep Billy’s memory alive, and to use that energy to help those less fortunate. Over time, this mission has inspired an incredible range of themed evenings and large-scale productions. Their “Billynium” celebration for Billy’s millennium birthday saw four hours of music, 48 acts, and 60 performers, raising nearly $5,000 for the South Auckland Hospice. Another major event, a Royal Variety Command Performance complete with royal lookalikes, raised $9,500 for both the Child Cancer Foundation and the Hospice. Billy’s own mother travelled from Liverpool to attend.
The club is famous for its humour and imagination. A pyjama-themed “Birthday Bedroom Bedazzler” raised enough to sponsor a guide dog—which they promptly named Billy. A fashion-themed “Fury’s Focus on Fashion” donated $3,500 to hospice care. A British-style “Pommy Pub Night,” complete with red-white-and-blue decorations, bingo, cabaret, and pub grub, brought in more than $4,000 for neurological research. Mid-winter “Christmas FANtasia” celebrations, comedy-filled quiz nights, tropical island spoofs, and even an Op Shop Ball have all followed—most selling out within weeks by word of mouth alone.
Moya’s creativity reached full flight with “BILLYair Flight 62,” a four-hour show staged inside a venue transformed into a life-sized airplane interior. Attendees passed through mock check-ins, security, and sniffer-dog stations before “flying” around the world and making a symbolic stop at the Pearly Gates to meet Billy.
The club’s quiz nights, branded “QuizzaBILLYty,” became legendary for their themed teams, comedy fines, music breaks, and elaborate costumes. One event hosted 30 teams of six, each in full character—from Dead Celebs to Rock’n’Rollers. Fines for silly behaviour, inflatable dolls as stand-ins for missing team members, and spontaneous comedy routines raised extra funds on top of the main charitable contributions.
In 2003, the club celebrated the ceremonial unveiling of a miniature bronze statuette of Billy—crafted by Tom Murphy, the artist behind the seven-foot statue overlooking Liverpool’s Albert Dock. The event featured tribute performances, candlelight moments, film projections, speeches, blessings, and an emotional rendition of the club’s own National “FANthem.” Guests aged from two to 82 celebrated together, dancing late into the night.
Through these efforts, the New Zealand Billy Fury Fan Club has raised significant funds for hospice care, cancer foundations, Alzheimer’s support, guide dog programmes, and more. But beyond charity, the group continues to demonstrate how a shared love for an artist can create lasting friendships, vibrant community, and joyful celebration—ensuring that Billy Fury’s spirit remains alive, half a world away from his hometown.