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Wood Craft
Ben Wood
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Ho’s spirit fills party celebrating book, TV special
D
on Ho's spirit was heavy Wednesday at the Aloha Tower spot named after him as his fellow entertainers and friends packed the club, many to suck 'em up as they did in the good old days at Duke Kahanamoku's, where Don gained national fame.
The event was to celebrate the release of a book, "Don Ho: My Music, My Life," by Don with Jerry Hopkins, published by Watermark. Film clips of a TV special, "Don Ho Remembered," produced by Phil Arnone, rolled on TV screens during the evening. The special will be carried by KGMB Tuesday at 8 p.m.
Don's wife, Haumea Hebenstreit Ho, signed books that were sold. The high point of the evening came when she danced one of Don's biggest hits, "I'll Remember You," as emcee Al Waterson sang the song. It brought tears to more than a few in the crowd. After their emotional performance, Haumea thanked everyone for coming and said, "I feel the heart from all of you for him." Later in the evening she said, "I think the turnout was wonderful. Nancy and Al were just great and the voices that showed up gave love and passion."
COURTESY BRETT UPRICHARD /
WATERMARK PUBLISHING
Don Ho's widow Haumea Ho dances to "I'll Remember You."
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Al and his wife,
Nancy Bernal,
and Watermark's
Dawn Sakamoto worked hard on the event. "Haumea requested that Al and I assist Dawn in organizing the program and the entertainment," Nancy said. "Haumea wanted me to include performers who were in the Don Ho show in Waikiki.
"Many are grand champion winners of the 'Al Waterson and You' singing competitions that we hold at Don Ho's Island Grill on every Sunday evening. When Don was alive, he always supported our singing competitions and the talent involved and offered the winners an opportunity to perform in his Waikiki show."
COURTESY BRETT UPRICHARD /
WATERMARK PUBLISHING
Some of those attending the party were Nicki Livingston, left, Jon DeMello, Russell Druce and Fred Livingston.
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Besides the young talent performing Wednesday,
Angel Pablo, who was with Don 40 years, and
Taran Erickson-McQuivey, a 27-year Ho-show veteran, sang. The young singers were
Taimane Gardner, 18, and her guitarist
Dewey Medeiros;
Jasmin Idica, 11; Angel's nephew
Matthew Pablo, 16;
Makaala Perry, 8, and
Brianna Pratt, 15. Don found Taimane, singing and playing ukulele on a Waikiki street when she was 13, trying to raise funds for the poor. He hired her.
Others in the house who had key spots in Don's shows over the years included original Aliis' member Benny Chong, Tokyo Joe and Sam Kapu.
COURTESY BRETT UPRICHARD /
WATERMARK PUBLISHING
Also, Nina Kealiiwahamana, left, event emcee Al Waterson, Mihana Souza and Cha Thompson, seated.
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Also attending were Don's son
Dwight Ho and wife
Lydia and their friend
Lisa Chow, the Grill's owner
Fred Livingston and wife
Vicki, Watermark Publisher
George Engebretson, Tihati's
Cha Thompson, Mihana Souza, who used to sing in the Grill,
Gary Aiko, Nina Kealiiwahamana and husband
Gordon Rapozo, Arnone and wife
Michelle,
Kimo Kahoano, Lynn Cook, Ray and
Adrienne Sweeney, Russell Druce, Jon DeMello, Leah Bernstein, Linda Coble and husband
Kirk Matthews,
Keith and
Carmen Haugen and Haumea's parents,
Carl "Kini Popo" Hebenstreit and
Florence "Johnny" Frisbie.
Kapu and Don looked a lot like each other in earlier years, and Don called him his "little brother" when they were on stage. Sam said that when he and Don first met, Don said, "You look like me, you sing like me, who's your mother? I'm Hawaiian, Chinese, Portuguese; what nationality you?" Sam replied, "I'm Hawaiian, Chinese, Spanish. I used to be Portuguese, but I quit."
Ben Wood, who sold the Star-Bulletin in the streets of downtown Honolulu during World War II, writes of people, places and things in our Hawaii. E-mail him at
bwood@starbulletin.com