Don Ho has passed on.

For any of the TC ohana who are interested, there is an online obituary and guest book for Mr. Ho available at http://www.legacy.com/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=87216120 .

On 2007-04-16 19:17, stuff-o-rama wrote:
My friends told me a great story about Don Ho a few years ago. My friends have two small children and were flying to Oahu to visit family who still live there. On the long flight, the kids started getting restless. Out of fear they would become "Those people with the crying kids" they decided to let their 4 year old daughter stroll up and down the aisles (accompanied by Mom of course). Their daughter, Cameron, became engrossed with another friendly passenger, who they later found out was Hoku Ho, daughter of Don, who had a show on the Disney Channel (Cameron was familiar with). She sat and played with Cameron, they sang and had a good ole time. At the end of the flight, Hoku asked if they'd like to see Don Ho the following night, she took their names and told them to go to the will call and their names would be on the list. The next night they went to the show with Cameron. Hoku joined in with Don on stage, she dedicated a song to Cameron. After the song, Don Ho asked Cameron to join them on stage where he sang, "Tiny Bubbles" to her while she sat next to him at the piano. After the show, Don invited them to his house, which was not far from where their family lived. I wish I had copies of the pictures. They were blown away how nice he was and that he would invite perfect strangers into to his home. He truly was a gentleman to them.

That's a great story! Rare indeed, just shows you the nature of the man; a rare treat nowadays!

I raise a toast to Don Ho. May he rest in peace. He will surely be missed by one and all.

A couple of new video clips on Don have recently appeared on the web. The first one is from The Travel Guys and is supposedly one of Don's last interviews. Which I believe, as he looks much frailer than when we saw him back in August.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e3sFJfS7NE

This next one is sort of bizarre, but sorta fun. Apparently Don did a cover of Peter Gabriel's "Shock The Monkey" during some performance, and someone did an animated short to it. GROG been freelancing again? :wink: Features cameos by Jack Lord and Tom Selleck.

http://andybumatai.com/donhovideo.htm

Enjoy.

The "Shock the Monkey" by Don Ho will be part of my shop tunes from now on !

Is that really Don Ho singing that?
cool take on it.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

On 2007-04-25 08:28, bigtikidude wrote:
Is that really Don Ho singing that?

Yes it is. It's from an album called "When Pigs Fly" which is a compilation of somewhat humorous and strange covers "that you never thought you'd hear."

See:

http://www.amazon.com/When-Pigs-Fly-Various-Artists/dp/B000067FTM/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-6310960-0440703?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1176607898&sr=8-1

In Don's obituary from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, it states:

He displayed his sense of humor when he agreed to record “Shock The Monkey” for a nationally released compilation album, “When Pigs Fly,” in 2002.

At the beginning of the song you hear Don say that he heard that Peter Gabriel was doing covers of his songs...so Don was going to do a cover of one of Peter's. But I don't really know if the selection of "Shock The Monkey" was Don's choice...or that of the album's producers.

:)

Edited to add: Just found the song on iTunes. 99 cents and it's yours. :wink:

[ Edited by: PremEx 2007-04-25 11:17 ]

Don Ho's ashes will be scattered off the beach of Waikiki on Saturday, May 5. A sundown ceremony is planned, with many singers and dancers performing. The outrigger that will carry Don's ashes to the sea will be adorned with a 76 foot long lei - one foot for each year of his life. That outrigger will be accompanied by 50 to 70 other canoes.

A crowd of 25,000 is expected for the service, and local television stations plan on providing live coverage of the entire memorial service and concert.

Here is an ad that appeared for the memorial service.

Thanks for the update Vern!!!

Cheers and Mahalo,
Jeff

Yes...Thanks for that info. :)

Those of us still standing at Trader Vic's tonight at 10:00pm Dallas time (when Don's ashes will be scattered in Waikiki) will "Suck 'Em Up" in his memory.

Large crowds expected at Don Ho's Waikiki memorial

JAYMES SONG, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 14 minutes ago

HONOLULU - So many people were expected Saturday for the sunset memorial service on the beach at Waikiki for legendary Hawaiian crooner Don Ho that the city arranged extra buses, parking and traffic control.

As many as 25,000 people were likely to attend, which city officials said would make it one of the largest crowds ever in Waikiki.

Ho, known for his catchy signature tune "Tiny Bubbles," died April 14 of heart failure at age 76.

His family planned a private service, with a flotilla of canoes to accompany them as they scatter his ashes in the Pacific Ocean. The canoes also were to carry a 76-foot lei sewn together by tourists and residents.

Following the scattering of ashes, several island entertainers were to perform, with one of Ho's songs, "I'll Remember You," sung by his 25-year-old daughter, Hoku.

Waikiki was special to Ho, the face and voice of Hawaii to the world for decades.

"Waikiki to me is like a magnet for the world," Ho said in a 2005 interview with The Associated Press. "Waikiki is a beacon. It's like a shining light."

Ho had a breakout year in 1966, when appearances at the Coconut Grove in Hollywood helped him build a mainland following, and the release of "Tiny Bubbles" gave him his greatest recording success.

Soon he was packing places such as the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. Stars including Lucille Ball, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra took in his shows.

Ho also became a TV star, hosting the "The Don Ho Show" on ABC during 1976-77.

Besides "Tiny Bubbles," his other well-known songs include "With All My Love," and the "Hawaiian Wedding Song."

Ho had suffered from heart problems for the past several years, and a pacemaker was implanted last fall. In 2005, he underwent an experimental stem cell procedure on his ailing heart in Thailand.

In one of his first interviews after the procedure, Ho told The AP that he couldn't wait to get back on stage. And he did, returning on a limited schedule less than two months later.

"A lot of people out there come every year to get their 'Tiny Bubbles' fix," he said then. "So as long as they keep coming, I might as well keep doing it.

"I retired about 40 years ago. I'm just having fun."

Thousands bid farewell to singer Don Ho By JAYMES SONG, Associated Press Writer
Sun May 6, 6:19 AM ET

Thousands of fans of different generations gathered on a beach at Waikiki to honor Hawaiian crooner Don Ho, some clad in bikinis and others in electric wheelchairs.

At a sunset memorial on the beach Saturday, they brought flowers and reminisced about the late entertainer's earlier years.

"I remember my mom would swoon every time she heard him sing. My dad would get so mad," said Rick Williams, of Visalia, Calif., who was wearing a T-shirt with Ho's unforgettable smile. "Hawaii was two things back then: Don Ho and Pearl Harbor."

Officials expected as many as 25,000 people to attend, making it one of the largest crowds ever in Waikiki, according to city officials. The city arranged extra buses, parking and traffic control.

Ho, known for his catchy signature tune "Tiny Bubbles," died April 14 of heart failure at age 76.

At an earlier private ceremony on the grounds of the Sheraton Waikiki, guests included politicians, musicians and family members, all of whom where dressed in white, except for Ho's wife, Haumea, who wore a floral orange dress and a maile lei.

Some of his 10 children sang songs during the tearful ceremony. An Air Force honor guard presented a 21-gun salute and handed a U.S. flag to Ho's family. Ho had been a retired Air Force pilot.

Pastor Tom Ainucci called Ho an "ambassador of the aloha spirit," who welcomed everyone and made the world a better place.

After the ceremony, Ho's ashes were taken by a double-hulled canoe about a quarter mile off Waikiki and scattered. The canoe was accompanied by dozens of surfers and a flotilla of other canoes.

Following the private ceremony, several island entertainers were to perform, with one of Ho's songs, "I'll Remember You," sung by his 25-year-old daughter, Hoku.

Fans converged on every open spot of sand in Waikiki. Waves gently rolled in as Ho's playful music could be heard coming from several outdoor bars.

Connie Algoflah flew in Thursday from Buckeye, Ariz., just to attend the memorial. She arrived at the balmy beach seven hours before the 5 p.m. tribute, to stake out a front-sand seat.

Algoflah, 43, said she had a huge crush on Ho and used to skip school as a teenager in Oklahoma to watch "The Don Ho Show."

"We were extremely poor in this little run-down apartment. He was my escape into something beautiful," she said.

Waikiki was special to Ho, the face and voice of Hawaii to the world for decades.

"Waikiki to me is like a magnet for the world," he said in a 2005 interview with The Associated Press. "Waikiki is a beacon. It's like a shining light."

Ho had a breakout year in 1966, when appearances at the Coconut Grove in Hollywood helped him build a mainland following, and the release of "Tiny Bubbles" gave him his greatest recording success.

Soon he was packing places such as the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. Stars including Lucille Ball, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra took in his shows.

Ho also became a TV star, hosting the "The Don Ho Show" on ABC during 1976-77.

Besides "Tiny Bubbles," his other well-known songs include "With All My Love," and the "Hawaiian Wedding Song."

Ho had suffered from heart problems for the past several years, and a pacemaker was implanted last fall. In 2005, he underwent an experimental stem cell procedure on his ailing heart in Thailand.

In one of his first interviews after the procedure, Ho told The AP that he couldn't wait to get back on stage. And he did, returning on a limited schedule less than two months later.

"A lot of people out there come every year to get their 'Tiny Bubbles' fix," he said then. "So as long as they keep coming, I might as well keep doing it."

Here's some videos of Don's Waikiki Memorial Service from various sources:

http://clips.shadowtv.net/media/stv/15563/247/2007/126/04/15563_247_20070506_040423_154.wmv

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070506/VIDEO03/70506004

[ Edited by: PremEx 2007-05-07 13:39 ]

Not only did Don Ho pass away, but apparently according to the Honolulu Advertiser or maybe it was the Star Bulletin, but one of Don Ho's daughter just passed away this weekend.

Here's the link...

http://starbulletin.com/2007/05/12/news/story01.html

On 2007-05-14 14:51, hawaiiansnowball wrote:
Not only did Don Ho pass away, but apparently according to the Honolulu Advertiser or maybe it was the Star Bulletin, but one of Don Ho's daughter just passed away this weekend.

Yes...that sad news was posted here on Tiki Central a few days ago in this thread:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=24070&forum=1