The South African Rock Encyclopedia > Rock Legends > 1970s / 1980s / 1990s / 2000s > John Ireland
Legend Of South African Music
John Ireland
John Ireland was born John Griffith on the 23 August 1954 in Boksburg to an Irish mother. He attended Boksburg High School in the early ’70s. In 1977 he and Jonathan Handley (who was born 5 June 1954) formed the band Slither and were based in Springs. He studied medicine with Jonathan at Wits University and they both became doctors. Slither later became The Radio Rats. John has musical training in classical piano to an advanced level and also plays guitar and drums.
John Ireland’s music hasn’t been officially released on CD or made available for streaming or download, apart from two songs, “You’re Living Inside My Head” and “I Like…”. On Spotify, the South African musician John Ireland is mixed up with the British composer (1879–1962) of the same name, who has an extensive catalogue of classical works.
Brian Currin, 20 October 2025