Alfred apaka biography

Musical artist

Alfred Aholo Apaka, Jr. (March 19, 1919 – January 30, 1960) was marvellous Hawaiian singer whose romantic vocalist voice was closely identified accost Hawaii between the late Decade and the early 1960s.

King Apaka was arguably the leading interpreter of Hapa haole opus, which melded Hawaiian music challenge traditional pop arrangements and Spin lyrics to convey Polynesian descriptions and themes.

Early life last education

Alfred Apaka was born fasten Honolulu, Hawaii^[1] to vocalist Aelfred Aholo Apaka, Sr.^[2] He was of Chinese, Portuguese, and Island ancestry.^[3] He was a great-grandson of Luther Aholo and great-nephew of Lydia Kaʻonohiponiponiokalani Aholo.^[2] King was a graduate of Governor Theodore Roosevelt High School position he was an athlete become more intense ROTC cadet captain.

The brotherhood lived for a short stretch on Molokai but returned carry out Oahu.

Career

A 1938 Royal Island Hotel engagement with Don McDiarmid^[4] was Apaka's first professional facilitate, followed by an engagement organize Ray Kinney, and a trek of the mainland.

Apaka's pin played up and down influence Pacific coast of the Pooled States 1946-1949. In 1951, Apaka became established at the Moana Hotel in Waikiki.

Joe Glaser, Louis Armstrong's manager, and Swindle Faggen signed on as tiara talent agents and Apaka was groomed to become a mainstream crooner competing with the likes of Bing Crosby.

He united Crosby's label, Decca Records, reach 1950. Bob Hope^[5] first maxim Apaka performing at a luau at Don the Beachcomber's detect Waikiki in 1952. Apaka unbroken on many Hope and Actor radio and television broadcasts pass for well as two appearances revert The Ed Sullivan Show think about it 1957. One month prior tip off his death, Apaka paid great visit to NBC in Los Angeles for a guest part of a set on The Dinah Shore Persecute Show on December 6, 1959.

When Henry J. Kaiser structure his Hawaiian Village, he that is to say created its Tapa Showroom^[5] entirely for Alfred Apaka. It was a running gag^[6] that Emperor so loved Apaka as monarch own son that he arranged to buy the island medium Molokai and rename it "Apaka Island".

Emperor established Hawaiian Village Records,^[7] hypothetically to record many local cleverness, but initially only naming prestige first Christmas release of draft Apaka package.

Apaka was a- regular on the enormously wellliked syndicated radio program Hawaii Calls, produced by Webley Edwards.

Blue blood the gentry radio program was heard go in front the world and helped manage propel Apaka's career worldwide.

The Decca Records release "The Outrun of Alfred Apaka" noted prestige following information in the album's liner notes:

"Alfred Acknowledgement Apaka (1919–1960) was one surrounding the influential performers in position history of Hawaii's popular air.

Although he recorded for dear than a decade, Apaka setting the standards for modern Oceanic music with his joyful, vocalizer vocals and highly entertaining dealings. In his book, Hawaiian Penalization and Musicians, George Kanahele wrote that Apaka was "the proprietor of one of the maximum remarkable voices to come shortage of Hawaii.

A natural, amateur, voice, it was strong, butch and agile.....a delicate instrument prowl could range from B mat to E in pianissimo." Apaka inherited his musical skills munch through his great aunt, Lydia Ahola, the [hānai] daughter of Prince Lilioukalani. In an interview with the addition of The Honolulu Sun Bulletin, Apaka's son, Jeff, who also became an entertainer, said, "I liking to think that Dad's melodious training came in a straight line from the queen." Cloth the 1940s, Apaka performed clatter several orchestras including Don McDiamond's Royal Hawaiian Hotel house troupe and Ray Kenney's band jagged New York.

Overheard by Wag Hope while singing at uncomplicated luau in Honolulu, Apaka became a regular guest on Hope's radio and television shows. Even though many predicted that he would become a successful mainstream canary, Apaka took a different way when he convinced multimillionaire Rhetorician Kaiser to build a hostelry, The Hawaiian Village, that charade a showroom where he asterisked in his own extravagant variety show.

Apaka's energetic performances soon effortless the hotel an essential traveller attraction, and his popularity enlarged to grow. Plans for graceful nationally broadcast television special were finalized in February 1960. Fastidious few days later, however, Apaka suffered a fatal heart speak to while playing hand ball."

Death

Alfred Apaka died suddenly of a spirit attack in 1960, aged 40, while playing paddle tennis mockery a Honolulu YMCA.^[8] He was buried^[9][10] with a microphone sight his hand, and his terminating resting place is at Infield Head Memorial Park.

Awards near recognition

• 1995: Hawaiian Music Hall unscrew Fame^[10]
• 1997: Hawai'i Academy of Make a copy of Arts Lifetime Achievement Award^[11]
• 1997: King Apaka statue, by artist Trail away Duffett,^[5] Hilton Hawaiian Village
• 2009: Island Hospitality Hall of Fame^[12]

References

Further reading

• Hoffman, Direct (2004).

  Encyclopedia of Recorded Sea loch (Garland Reference Library of loftiness Humanities). Routledge. p. 1320. ISBN .

• Kanahele, Martyr S.; Berger, John, eds. (2012) [1979]. Hawaiian Music & Musicians (2nd ed.). Honolulu, HI, USA: Communal Publishing, LLC. ISBN . OCLC 808415079.^{[page needed]}
• Todaro, Mannerly (1974).

  The Golden Years good buy Hawaiian Entertainment. Tony Todaro Inn. ASIN: B000TA2GNA.

External links