StarBulletin.com

Moffatt's card covers his early rockin' years


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POSTED: Saturday, January 10, 2009

Show presenter and radio jock Tom Moffatt's New Year's card listed names that brought back memories. It read, “;May the New Year be as bright as the 1958 Show of Stars. And 50 years after we commemorated Hawaii's first great year of Rock & Roll with this greeting ... the wish continues with much Aloha.”; The card lists acts Tom showcased at the Civic Auditorium. In alphabetical order, they were: Addrisi Brothers, Paul Anka, Frankie Avalon, H.B. Barnum, Eddie Cochran, Coasters, Crickets, Bobby Day, Diamonds, Drifters, Elegants, Scott Engel, Everly Brothers, Four Aces, Four Ekkos, Four Preps, Connie Francis, Bobby Freeman, Ernie Freeman, Glenn Glenn, Hi Fives, Buddy Holly, Hollywood Flames, Kalin Twins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Robin Luke, Al Lucas, Frankie Lymon, Sterling Mossman, Joe Mullan and His Orchestra, Donnie Owens, Raiders, Teddy Randazzo, Rays, Jimmie Rodgers, Jodie Sands, Tommy Sands, Six Teens, Jack Scott, Surfers, Richie Valens, Vogues, and Young Jessie. Tom also emceed the shows. He went on to bring in some of the biggest names in show biz: Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Sammy Davis, Liza Minnelli, Aretha Franklin, Neil Diamond, The Who, Bette Midler, Barry Manilow, Lionel Richie, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Eagles, Norah Jones, Bob Marley, Journey, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Rod Stewart and many more. Not bad for a young man who came here in the early 1950s thinking he would play football for the University of Hawaii. Tom was a tackle, but gave up on football because it was too hot to practice for a guy from the Midwest, he said. You can read all about Tom and the music industry giants he brought here in his book, “;The Showman of the Pacific”; ...

I met Tom when we were students at UH and later wrote stories about and reviewed some acts he brought here. At Murphy's following the wake for Star-Bulletin columnist Dave Donnelly, I was sitting with an attractive Chinese woman. Tom came over, embraced her and sat down with us. The woman wishes to remain anonymous but she is a former Narcissus queen and will participate in the Narcissus Queen Pageant tonight at Hawaii Theater. Tom had eyes for her older sister, another UH student, when he was there. But the mother of the girl Tom liked didn't know anything about this malahini from the mainland and she didn't want any hanky-panky going on between him and her daughter. So mom had her younger daughter, 12 years old, accompany them on dates. The younger daughter said she was the baby sitter. I think watchdog is a better term. She sat in the back seat of Tom's car when he took her sister out ...

The last name of Kathy Griffin was misspelled in Wednesday's column ...