Whatever
Happened...
Question: What ever happened to Martin Denny? Musician Denny, 88,
lives quietly in
Hawaii KaiAnswer: The 88-year-old Denny, the pianist who pioneered "exotic" music with the release of his 1957 album "Exotica," lives in Hawaii Kai.
He and his wife, June, recently went to Seattle to preview the film "Breakfast of Champions," scheduled to be released in August. The movie's sound track features 16 of Denny's recordings, including the classic "Quiet Village."
"The director says he's been a fan of my music since he was 9 years old," Denny said, referring to David Blocker, whose father played Hoss Cartwright on the old television series "Bonanza."
Denny estimates he has sold 4 million to 5 million records and albums. "I still go into the studio but not as much as I'd like to," he said.
Denny's original group included Arthur Lyman on vibes and marimbas, and John Kramer on bass. The group later featured Molokai resident and percussionist Augie Colon, father of Pure Heart's Lopaka Colon. The late Julius Wechter of "Tijuana Brass" fame and the late Harvey Ragsdale replaced Lyman and Kramer, respectively, when they left Denny's group.
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