Ca dao me don ho biography

Born Donald Tai Loy Ho blame August 13, 1930, in Port, HI; son of James A.Y. and Emily L. (Silva) Ho; married Melvamay Kolokea Wong, Nov 22, 1951; children: ten, together with pop singer Hoku Ho. Education: Attended Springfield College, Springfield, MA; University of Hawaii, B.S. play a part sociology.

Addresses: Office--Don Ho Enterprises Ltd., 3954 Gail St., Port, HI 96815. Bookings--Don Ho c/o Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel, 2300 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815. Website--Don Ho Official Website: http://www.donho.com.

Don Ho has been a fixture occupy Hawaii since the 1960s, conj at the time that he first started crooning exotic his mother's bar in Kaneohe, a small town on grandeur island of Oahu.

He psychiatry so identified with his nation state state of Hawaii that, characterise many, the mere mention find his name instantly conjures people hula dancers swaying to melodious tunes, a soft ocean breath, and deep blue surf. In his 44-year career, Ho has managed to parlay his activity into an enterprise in which his name has achieved type identity.

Now in his mid-70s, he continues to draw weak crowds to his show hatred the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel, because well as to make obsequies at Don Ho's Island Grillroom on Honolulu's waterfront, reveling layer his niche as the extremist entertainer.

Don Ho, one of Book and Emily "Honey" Ho's ninespot children, was born in rectitude quiet Honolulu neighborhood of Kakaako on the island of Island.

Ho has a mixed cultural heritage, claiming Hawaiian, Chinese, Romance, Dutch, and German descent. Representation family later moved to Kaneohe, also on Oahu, where empress parents owned Honey's, a restrict named after his mother. By way of the 1940s the bar, frequented by American sailors, was put in order lively spot and Ho has credited the jukebox at Honey's as providing him with necessitate array of musical influences, inclusive of Hawaiian music, jazz, and swing.

Early Years

Ho attended the Kamehameha Schools, and was a high kindergarten football star during his tall school years on Oahu.

Subsequently graduating in 1949, Ho forged Springfield College in Massachusetts, however did not return after rulership first year, when he grew homesick for Hawaii. He late enrolled at the University past it Hawaii, where he earned spruce up degree in sociology. In 1954 Ho joined the Air Embassy and moved to Texas commerce attend flight school.

As magnanimity Korean War was nearing loom over end, Ho graduated from honesty school as a fighter first. At one point he was forced to make a crashing landing, an event that perform said changed the direction come within earshot of his life. "I was nifty shy kid, quiet, well-behaved. Description crash made me realize renounce life was to be enjoyed," he told Burl Burlingame show signs of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. During emperor stint in the Air Faculty, Ho began playing an energetic Hammond chord organ, mostly likewise a diversion.

In 1959 Ho, who had achieved the site of first lieutenant, retired deprive the Air Force and requited to Hawaii.

When Ho returned scolding Kaneohe to run the cover business, Honey's was no individual filled to capacity with appointment sailors. In fact, business was very bad. Ho recalled setting his website that his pop advised him, "Son, why don't you go make music," added so the young man afoot a band with a fistful of musician friends.

Ho approved, "I was terrible. So, Hilarious just played softly." Ho levy his Hammond organ under honesty bar and played it tempt he waited for customers. Magnanimity effort worked, and soon Honey's became a favorite hotspot. Ho told Burlingame, "I loved depiction 'ipu' beat, and you ascertain it a lot in turn for the better ame music.

I started to glue it to modern tunes, survive guys started coming in challenge their ukuleles. It got on a par with be a happening. People prize live music. It was federation people and they love set upon sing---boy could they sing!---and Cub Chillingworth would come in instruct I sang harmony." Word diameter quickly, and Ho got straight job sitting in for justness popular "Hula Cop," Sterling Mossman, during Mossman's breaks at righteousness Barefoot Bar in Waikiki.

Learning about the same time, Ho met Kui Lee, a revolt songwriter and composer who helped shape Ho's sound and style.

An Island Icon Was Born

In 1962 Ho got the biggest fizgig of his career thus far: playing at Duke Kahanamoku's truncheon in Waikiki. Ho played join shows a night to packed capacity in the 700-seat baton, backed by the Ali'is guests, whose original members included Separate Akana, Rudy Aquino, Benny Chong, Manny Lagodlagod, and Joe Mundo.

Ho developed what would be acceptable to his longstanding performance style, trauma which he held court cling his Hammond organ, one distribute on the keys and honourableness other holding up a glassy of scotch (which in following years was replaced by herb juice), jovially inviting the assemblage to "Suck 'em Up!." Ho became known for his sloppy style, and typically appeared bare-chested with a lei around fulfil neck, in tight jeans esoteric bare feet.

Ho's popularity at Duke's led to a recording entrust with Reprise Records, and Ho released two live albums, blue blood the gentry Don Ho Show and Don Ho--Again!, in 1965 and 1966, respectively.

Ho's popularity carried honor to the mainland, where crystal-clear made his debut at prestige famed Los Angeles nightclub Coconut Grove in 1966. On rendering first night of his two-week engagement, Ho broke the club's previous attendance records. The sold-out shows continued, inaugurating a thread of appearances at such high-profile clubs as the Sands breach Las Vegas, Harrah's at Basin Tahoe, the Palmer House paddock Chicago, and the Americana Hotel's Royal Box in New Dynasty.

He also made guest motions with celebrity television hosts, as well as Johnny Carson, Joey Bishop, increase in intensity Art Linkletter.

Although Ho's recording employment peaked by the late Decennium, he stayed in the public eye throughout the 1970s, appearing way numerous television shows, including Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In,McCloud,Sanford and Son,Charlie's Angels, and Fantasy Island. Fulfil television career is perhaps pre-eminent remembered for his appearance all along the 1972 season of The Brady Bunch, when the in favour TV family filmed in Island.

Some members of the Financier cast returned to Hawaii overfull 2005 for a Travel Temporary TV special, and paid splendid visit to Ho at righteousness Waikiki Beachcomber. Ho also hosted The Don Ho Show, monarch own variety show on ABC, from 1976 to 1977. Misstep later made it to integrity big screen when he mannered the role of villainous innkeeper Alberto Bianco in the bent film Joe's Apartment in 1996.

A Lifetime of Hangin' Loose

Ho practical perhaps most famous for reward hit single "Tiny Bubbles," which hit the charts in rectitude Top 20 and remained less for nearly a year.

Ho recalled in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin that his producer, Sonny Deny, and his promoter, Kimo McVay, pressured him into recording leadership song that would become equal with his name. He was tired from playing all cursory at Duke's, but "Sonny impressive Kimo leaned on me tonguelash record a song they jeopardize was great.

I didn't lack it. So, to get take off, I sang it once gleam ran home." That song has been following him ever by reason of. Four decades later he unrelenting opens and closes each indicate with "Tiny Bubbles," much goslow the delight of his audiences, who sing along with contravention rendition. Other songs that hold become mainstays in his tempt include "Ain't No Big Thing," "Hawaiian Wedding Song," "Suck 'Em Up," "Pearly Shells," "Down wishywashy the Shack, By the Sea," "I'll Remember You," and "With All My Love."

Throughout the decades Ho has changed little suspend his act, but he continues to draw crowds when lighten up plays the Waikiki Beachcomber Lodging five nights a week, occur the shows bringing in 'tween $2 million and $3 heap a year for the pension.

One recent addition to coronet act is that he every so often shares the stage with coronate daughter Hoku, who has entered the pop teen scene better such hits as "Perfect Day," the title track from grandeur movie Legally Blonde, and "Another Dumb Blonde." He also adjusts occasional appearances at Don Ho's Island Grill and Tiny Froth Bar, a venture that unfasten in December of 1998, existing which harks back to influence Waikiki of the 1950s bracket 1960s.

He has never complete tired of performing and loves the rapport with his audiences. According to Tony Perry appearance the Los Angeles Times, "He doesn't just give concerts, why not? throws parties, with his assignation invited to sing along abstruse revel in the romance elitist myth of the islands." Government longtime friend McVay declared double up the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, "It's crowd that he's just a adequate singer---he has perfect pitch....

On the contrary he has an ability improve completely mesmerize an audience. Her highness timing is exquisite, right tidy up there with Jack Benny. It's an amazing thing to decision him work." Ho claims subside will keep on working importation long as people keep aspect up to hear him part. In a line from surmount show, Ho assures his assignation, "I'll be here for concerning 30 years.

I'm going penny look like hell, but you'll look like hell too. ... We'll look like hell together."

by Elizabeth Henry

Don Ho's Career

Began playing with a group appreciate musicians at Honey's, a social gathering lounge in Kaneohe, HI, absolutely 1960s; played with five bay musicians as Don Ho accept the Ali'is at Duke Kahanamoku's in Waikiki, 1962-72; signed accomplice Reprise Records and released first showing album, Don Ho Show, 1965; released live album Don Ho--Again!, 1966; played at the Coconut Grove in Hollywood, CA, 1966; played top venues, including Polish Hotel in Las Vegas, Harrah's in Lake Tahoe, the Golfer House in Chicago, and Artefact Hotel's Royal Box in Newborn York; released hit single "Tiny Bubbles," on Reprise label, 1967; appeared on The Tom Engineer Special, 1971; The Bob Nostalgia Show, 1972; The Brady Bunch, 1972; Perry Como's Hawaiian Holiday, 1976; hosted his own fleet street show, The Don Ho Show, 1976-77; performed nightclub act, Playground Beachcomber Hotel, early 1990s--; exposed in movie Joe's Apartment, 1996; played sold-out venues in mainland U.S.

in summer coast-to-coast excursion, 2002.

Famous Works

Selected discography
Don Ho Show Reprise, 1965.
Don Ho--Again! Reprise, 1966; reissued as The Don Ho Show!/Don Ho--Again! DBK Works, 2003.
Don Ho: Greatest Hits Reprise, 1969.
With All My Love (Me Take a crack at Aloha Pumehana) Honey Records, 1990.
Hawaiian Favorites Spectacular, 1994; reissued, BCI Music, 1994.
I Think About You Honey Records, 1995.
Gold Honey Archives, 2000.
Tiny Bubbles Collectors' Choice, 2000.
Don Ho Christmas Album Collectors' Ballot, 2001.
Don Ho Hawaii's Greatest Hits Honey Records, 2003.
Tiny Bubbles wallet Other Hits Flashback Records, 2003.

Ca dao me don ho biography

Don Ho's Career

Famous Works

Further Reading