Frankie Stevens

Francis Donald McKechnie Stevenson was born in Wellington in 1950. Frankie comes from a large and talented family, including his brother Jon Stevens, also a star in his own right. From his early days in Upper Hutt, singing in school bands at just 13, Frankie showed a remarkable gift for performance and an unstoppable drive to pursue music.

At 16, he moved to Australia and joined The Castaways, beginning a journey that would span the globe. His first solo hit, “My Elusive Dreams”, topped charts across New Zealand launched him into international stardom.

Frankie’s rise continued in the UK, where he won Opportunity Knocks six consecutive times, performed at London’s prestigious Palladium and Albert Hall, and proudly represented Britain at global music festivals — winning major awards in Tokyo, Caracas, and Bulgaria, where he made history as the first non-Eastern Bloc artist to win the Golden Orpheus.

His storied career saw him share stages with legends such as Olivia Newton-John, Shirley Bassey, Sammy Davis Jr., and Milton Berle. He performed across Europe, the Caribbean, Asia, and the USA, with residencies in Las Vegas and Honolulu, and even acted on hit shows like Hawaii Five-0.

Returning home in the 1980s, Frankie became a cornerstone of New Zealand’s entertainment industry — owning a top nightclub, starring in television specials, touring with Sir Howard Morrison, and taking on major roles in theatre, including Jesus Christ Superstar.

He later served as a New Zealand Idol judge, inspiring a new generation of talent.

In 1998, Frankie brought his experience to the national stage, coordinating key millennium events for the New Zealand Government, including performances by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and international broadcasts seen around the world.

He was part of a specialist team that delivered some of the following events, as the year 2000 arrived:

• Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and the NZSO dawn concert from Waikanae beach

in Gisbourne

• Mt Hikurangi celebrations with the people of Ngati Porou

• First to see the Sun celebrations in the Chatham Islands

• TV3 New Years Eve and Millennium Day Broadcast (host NZ government broadcaster)

• BBC New Years Eve and Millennium Day Broadcast

Since 2000 Stevens has been constantly on the road travelling throughout New Zealand, Australia and to many other parts of the world, such as Malaysia, the United States, and the Bahamas, where he has performed in numerous Corporate Events, acting in an MC role or as a performer. One of his recent MC roles was Master of Ceremonies for the Governor-General's Waitangi Day Celebrations held at Government House in Wellington.

In 2005 Frankie was on the judging panel for New Zealand Idol.

A performer, actor, mentor, MC, and cultural icon, Frankie Stevens’ career has spanned over six decades, and his contributions continue to resonate across generations.

Frankie Stevens received the Benny Award in October 2024 from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand.

It is the highest honour for a "variety entertainer" in New Zealand Today, we proudly etch his name into the New Zealand Walk of Fame — a permanent tribute to a lifetime of excellence, passion, and service to the arts.

Please join us in celebrating Frankie Stevens MNZM — a legend of Aotearoa