The New Zealand music community is mourning the passing of Netherworld Dancing Toys frontman Malcolm Black.

As reported by NZME in March, Black had been battling bowel cancer.

News of the 58-year-old's death was shared on the APRA website in a touching tribute.

"We are very sad to advise that our great friend, colleague, writer, director and New Zealand representative on the APRA board passed away peacefully in Auckland Hospital today after a battle with illness," read the post.


"It is a massive loss for the music community and we will miss his wisdom, thoughtfulness, guidance and humility. His contribution to music in New Zealand is like none other."

We are very sad to advise that our great friend, colleague, writer director and NZ representative on the APRA board, Malcolm Black, passed away peacefully today. It is a great loss for the music community and we will miss him dearly. https://t.co/IcyOmtgrYb — APRA AMCOS NZ (@APRAAMCOSNZ) May 9, 2019

Black's song writing talents propelled the Netherworld Dancing Toys to the heights of the New Zealand charts in 1985 with the hit single For Today.

He was in Dunedin for the 2017 Apra Silver Scroll Awards when a severe stomach ache took him to Dunedin Hospital.

"A day later I had most of my bowel removed and was told I had nine months to live," he said.

It was at last year's Silver Scroll Awards that Black returned to the stage for what was envisioned as being a one-off performance.

He and his original bandmates were asked to close the show with a rendition of For Today— a song with which Black has had a love-hate relationship.

"After it became a hit, for those first three or four years I was sick of it because it was everywhere and it had defined us — I almost wanted to distance myself from it," he said.

"Subsequently, I have become very proud of it, and I like the way it has lasted. I listen to it now and it still sounds good to me, and I like the impact it has had on people from all walks of life.


"I'm a big rugby fan — it gets played at the rugby all the time. I went to an All Blacks test recently, and hearing 50-60,000 people singing your song in a big stadium is really nice."

The Netherworld Dancing Toys - Nick Simpson, Malcolm Black, Brent Alexander and Graham Cockroft. Photo / NZ Herald.

In March, Black played one more show at the Captain Cook, with a group of Dunedin musicians — Jeff Dickie, Ron Murphy, John Hodge, Steve Larkin and Sue Chilton —after they had re-entered the studio to record a new album, Songs For My Family.

"When you think about death a lot it makes you think about life and how to live your life better, and it instantly prioritises what is important," he said.

"I wrote the songs on this record just for my family, the kids [Ruby, Awhina, Cilla and Martha] and my wife [Julia]."

Black's career as a professional musician ended 33 years ago, when he embarked on a successful career as an entertainment lawyer — in which capacity he represented many of the early Flying Nun "Dunedin Sound" bands — record company executive, fitness club executive and manager of Crowded House and Neil Finn.