By Dave Donnelly
Friday, March 7, 1997
Jack Cione, Heather Hays
Jack Cione, Heather Hays
THE Osaka basho begins Sunday in Japan, and former isle disc jockey Kamasami Kong (a k a Bob Zix) took the opportunity to drop by the stable of Musashimaru to talk story with him and Yokuzuna Akebono, known when growing up in Hawaii as Chad Rowan. Both of the Hawaii-born sumo stars stand out, states Kong, because "they're just so BIG!" After the sumo practice, Kong was introduced to Mushashimaru, who grew up on the Leeward Coast as Fiamalu Penitani, and who greeted him, somewhat surprisingly, in perfect Waianae pidgin: "So what, cuz, you remember me? I met you at Waianae High a long time ago when you was emcee fo' da Brown Bags to Stardom contest. I was a student den, and you was da famous one. Now I'm kinda famous too, huh?" This time it was Kong who was in awe ... Sumotori to DJ:
‘So what, Cuz?’THE two swapped stories about mutual friends at home and later went to a Hawaii-themed bar in Osaka and talked music. Musashimaru mentioned that one of his favorites was Maxi Priest and Kong revealed that Maxi was going to be a guest on his FM82 radio show the next day. The sumo star said, "Tell Maxi, 'Hi,' " and the next day the rocker revealed he was a big sumo fan and sent out a personal message of good luck to "Musashi" over the airwaves. We'll see if it does any good next week ...
IF anyone has any urgent business to transact at the library, you'd better get to it in the next two weeks. A press release from State Librarian Bart Kane states all public libraries will be closed March 26 for Prince Kuhio Day, but will reopen on March 27. Then came a second release. All libraries will be closed March 28 and 30 for Good Friday and Easter. Some will be open on Saturday, Kane's release states, and all will reopen on March 31 "unless they are normally closed on Mondays." Those librarians obviously are overworked ...
LOCAL showman Jack Cione certainly has had an eclectic career in showbiz. He pioneered strip shows and lingerie fashion modeling in Hawaii, culminating perhaps with his "Naked Waiter" revues at the old Dunes, now Gussie L'amour's. Since he got out of the nightclub business, Cione in semi-retirement has taken to producing the annual "Mardi Gras Follies" at Pearl Harbor, often featuring Navy wives wearing much of the same costume finery he used in various nightclub routines. Last year's follies featured 70- and 80-year-old grandmas stealing the show. This year, Cione is featuring "Show Girls of the 21st Century," eight beautiful 6- and 7-year-old girls wearing Las Vegas style feather headdresses. They stop the show every night, reports Cione, whose "Follies" continue through March 21 at the Pearl Harbor Banyan Club. It's open to the public ... Show busy
FORMER Miss Hawaii USA Heather Hays leaves tonight after a brief visit to the islands. She was here to see friends and set up a memorial service for her recently departed longtime companion, Brett Herman. Hays must hasten back to Green Bay, Wis., and return to the air Monday as anchor on the NBC affiliate there ...
SITTING in tonight and tomorrow at the Alana Waikiki is singer Shari Lynn. Resident performers Jimmy Borges and Betty Loo Taylor are off to Japan to perform in a Hawaiian show. Borges also will appear in a TV commercial with his daughter Stephanie, a model in Japan. Jimmy and Betty Loo had to decline an invite to return to June's Vancouver Jazz Festival, where they've performed a number of times ...
WHILE motoring through Vancouver, B.C., local PR exec Ray Sweeney did a double take when he saw a road-spanning banner proclaiming "Manure Sale." The small print said it was a benefit touting farm manure as "great fertilizer for any and all plantings." And who was the beneficiary of the sale? Why, the North Vancouver Rugby Team - no surprise to Sweeney, whose experience with ruggers is that they're the same rascals the world over ... Professional courtesy
