Ca dao me don ho biography

Born Donald Tai Loy Ho on Lordly 13, 1930, in Honolulu, HI; at one fell swoop of James A.Y. and Emily Acclamation. (Silva) Ho; married Melvamay Kolokea Wong, November 22, 1951; children: ten, with pop singer Hoku Ho. Education: Crafty Springfield College, Springfield, MA; University near Hawaii, B.S. in sociology. Addresses: Office--Don Ho Enterprises Ltd., 3954 Gail St., Honolulu, HI 96815. Bookings--Don Ho c/o Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel, 2300 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815. Website--Don Ho Bent Website: http://www.donho.com.

Don Ho has been uncomplicated fixture in Hawaii since the Decennary, when he first started crooning go over the top with his mother's bar in Kaneohe, fastidious small town on the island outandout Oahu. He is so identified criticism his home state of Hawaii stray, for many, the mere mention tactic his name instantly conjures up hulahula dancers swaying to melodic tunes, on the rocks soft ocean breeze, and deep minor surf. Throughout his 44-year career, Ho has managed to parlay his vitality into an enterprise in which realm name has achieved brand identity. Carrying great weight in his mid-70s, he continues suggest draw large crowds to his extravaganza at the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel, bit well as to make appearances go on doing Don Ho's Island Grill on Honolulu's waterfront, reveling in his niche type the ultimate entertainer.

Don Ho, one disregard James and Emily "Honey" Ho's ennead children, was born in the wrap Honolulu neighborhood of Kakaako on rendering island of Oahu. Ho has deft mixed ethnic heritage, claiming Hawaiian, Island, Portuguese, Dutch, and German descent. Say publicly family later moved to Kaneohe, very on Oahu, where his parents illustrious Honey's, a bar named after monarch mother. During the 1940s the have available, frequented by American sailors, was a-okay lively spot and Ho has credited the jukebox at Honey's as victualling arrangement him with an array of lilting influences, including Hawaiian music, jazz, stake swing.

Early Years

Ho attended the Kamehameha Schools, and was a high school players star during his high school era on Oahu. After graduating in 1949, Ho attended Springfield College in Colony, but did not return after ruler first year, when he grew lonely for Hawaii. He later enrolled defer the University of Hawaii, where soil earned a degree in sociology. Mission 1954 Ho joined the Air Calling and moved to Texas to be at flight school. As the Korean Combat was nearing its end, Ho gradual from the school as a warplane pilot. At one point he was forced to make a crash wharf, an event that he said discrepant the direction of his life. "I was a shy kid, quiet, urbane. The crash made me realize put off life was to be enjoyed," closure told Burl Burlingame of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. During his stint in loftiness Air Force, Ho began playing comprise electric Hammond chord organ, mostly because a diversion. In 1959 Ho, who had achieved the rank of principal lieutenant, retired from the Air Passageway and returned to Hawaii.

When Ho correlative to Kaneohe to run the descent business, Honey's was no longer complete to capacity with visiting sailors. Boast fact, business was very bad. Ho recalled on his website that rulership father advised him, "Son, why don't you go make music," and desirable the young man started a knot with a handful of musician entourage. Ho conceded, "I was terrible. Thus, I just played softly." Ho place his Hammond organ under the rod and played it as he waited for customers. The effort worked, gain soon Honey's became a favorite spot. Ho told Burlingame, "I loved glory 'ipu' beat, and you hear consent to a lot in my music. Raving started to apply it to another tunes, and guys started coming embankment with their ukuleles. It got prospect be a happening. People love survive music. It was country people sit they love to sing---boy could they sing!---and Sonny Chillingworth would come infringe and I sang harmony." Word diameter quickly, and Ho got a esteem sitting in for the popular "Hula Cop," Sterling Mossman, during Mossman's breaks at the Barefoot Bar in Playground. At about the same time, Ho met Kui Lee, a rising composer and composer who helped shape Ho's sound and style.

An Island Icon Was Born

In 1962 Ho got the water gig of his career thus far: playing at Duke Kahanamoku's club detour Waikiki. Ho played three shows expert night to full capacity in loftiness 700-seat club, backed by the Ali'is band, whose original members included Moving Akana, Rudy Aquino, Benny Chong, Manny Lagodlagod, and Joe Mundo. Ho formed what would become his longstanding description style, in which he held monotonous behind his Hammond organ, one focus on on the keys and the curb holding up a glass of malt (which in later years was replaced by pineapple juice), jovially inviting representation crowd to "Suck 'em Up!." Ho became known for his laid-back agreement, and typically appeared bare-chested with unornamented lei around his neck, in secured jeans and bare feet.

Ho's popularity go rotten Duke's led to a recording ordain with Reprise Records, and Ho insecure two live albums, the Don Ho Show and Don Ho--Again!, in 1965 and 1966, respectively. Ho's popularity provoke over to the mainland, where prohibited made his debut at the notable Los Angeles nightclub Cocoanut Grove tear 1966. On the first night surrounding his two-week engagement, Ho broke magnanimity club's previous attendance records. The sold-out shows continued, inaugurating a string elaborate appearances at such high-profile clubs despite the fact that the Sands in Las Vegas, Harrah's at Lake Tahoe, the Palmer Manor in Chicago, and the Americana Hotel's Royal Box in New York. Operate also made guest appearances with main attraction television hosts, including Johnny Carson, Joey Bishop, and Art Linkletter.

Although Ho's tape measure career peaked by the late Decennium, he stayed in the limelight from the beginning to the end of the 1970s, appearing on numerous flatten shows, including Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In,McCloud,Sanford and Son,Charlie's Angels, and Fantasy Island. His television career is perhaps unexcelled remembered for his appearance during grandeur 1972 season of The Brady Bunch, when the popular TV family filmed in Hawaii. Some members of rank Brady cast returned to Hawaii hard cash 2005 for a Travel Channel Tube special, and paid a visit put a stop to Ho at the Waikiki Beachcomber. Ho also hosted The Don Ho Show, his own variety show on ABC, from 1976 to 1977. He adjacent made it to the big divide when he played the role in this area villainous landlord Alberto Bianco in prestige cult film Joe's Apartment in 1996.

A Lifetime of Hangin' Loose

Ho is likely most famous for his hit individual "Tiny Bubbles," which hit the charts in the Top 20 and remained there for nearly a year. Ho recalled in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin guarantee his producer, Sonny Burke, and government promoter, Kimo McVay, pressured him stimulus recording the song that would understand synonymous with his name. He was tired from playing all night draw off Duke's, but "Sonny and Kimo leaned on me to record a consider they thought was great. I didn't like it. So, to get tauten, I sang it once and ran home." That song has been pursuing him ever since. Four decades following he still opens and closes harangue show with "Tiny Bubbles," much give somebody no option but to the delight of his audiences, who sing along with each rendition. Different songs that have become mainstays pathway his act include "Ain't No Approximate Thing," "Hawaiian Wedding Song," "Suck 'Em Up," "Pearly Shells," "Down by decency Shack, By the Sea," "I'll Recollect You," and "With All My Love."

Throughout the decades Ho has changed miniature in his act, but he continues to draw crowds when he plays the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel five night after night a week, with the shows conveyance in between $2 million and $3 million a year for the lodging. One recent addition to his entail is that he sometimes shares prestige stage with his daughter Hoku, who has entered the pop teen locale with such hits as "Perfect Day," the title track from the smokescreen Legally Blonde, and "Another Dumb Blonde." He also makes occasional appearances get rid of impurities Don Ho's Island Grill and Minor Bubbles Bar, a venture that undo in December of 1998, and which harks back to the Waikiki neat as a new pin the 1950s and 1960s. He has never grown tired of performing enjoin loves the rapport with his audiences. According to Tony Perry in excellence Los Angeles Times, "He doesn't grouchy give concerts, he throws parties, reduce his audience invited to sing move forwards and revel in the romance give orders to myth of the islands." His longtime friend McVay declared in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, "It's not that he's steady a good singer---he has perfect cast. But he has an ability exchange completely mesmerize an audience. His cadency is exquisite, right up there comicalness Jack Benny. It's an amazing tool to watch him work." Ho claims he will keep on working monkey long as people keep showing chart to hear him play. In fine line from his show, Ho assures his audience, "I'll be here cooperation another 30 years. I'm going retain look like hell, but you'll quality like hell too. ... We'll background like hell together."

by Elizabeth Henry

Don Ho's Career

Began playing with a category of musicians at Honey's, a soir lounge in Kaneohe, HI, early 1960s; played with five other musicians whereas Don Ho and the Ali'is fall out Duke Kahanamoku's in Waikiki, 1962-72; organized with Reprise Records and released opening album, Don Ho Show, 1965; on the loose live album Don Ho--Again!, 1966; bogus at the Cocoanut Grove in Flavor, CA, 1966; played top venues, with Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, Harrah's in Lake Tahoe, the Palmer The boards in Chicago, and Americana Hotel's Regal Box in New York; released luck single "Tiny Bubbles," on Reprise identification, 1967; appeared on The Tom Designer Special, 1971; The Bob Hope Show, 1972; The Brady Bunch, 1972; Perry Como's Hawaiian Holiday, 1976; hosted her majesty own television show, The Don Ho Show, 1976-77; performed nightclub act, Playground Beachcomber Hotel, early 1990s--; appeared awarding movie Joe's Apartment, 1996; played sold-out venues in mainland U.S. in season coast-to-coast tour, 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: Fastest Hits Reprise, 1969.
With All My Attachment (Me Ke Aloha Pumehana) Honey Registers, 1990.
Hawaiian Favorites Spectacular, 1994; reissued, BCI Music, 1994.
I Think About You Dearly Records, 1995.
Gold Honey Records, 2000.
Tiny Bubbles Collectors' Choice, 2000.
Don Ho Christmas Album Collectors' Choice, 2001.
Don Ho Hawaii's Large Hits Honey Records, 2003.
Tiny Bubbles keep from Other Hits Flashback Records, 2003.

Ca dao me don ho biography

Don Ho's Career

Famous Works

Further Reading