Rest In Peace Bill Tapia 12/01/11

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W WooHooWahine Grand Member (8 years) Mission (Impossible) Viejo, Ca Joined: Mar 04, 2005 Posts: 3457	W WooHooWahine Posted posted on Fri, Dec 2, 2011 12:29 PM From: Pat Palika Enos "Bill Tapia peacefully passed away last night in his sleep. Ever since June of this year, Bill has been getting weaker, but his strong will to live almost kept him going until his 104th birthday. " SoccerTiki and I were so privileged to have know Bill and to have had him play at our wedding. I know Bill is already playing his Uke at a Little Grass Shack in Paradise. Bill Tapia will truely be missed!! [ Edited by: WooHooWahine 2011-12-02 13:08 ]
TM tiki mick Tiki Socialite SOCAL Joined: May 12, 2004 Posts: 4094	TM tiki mick Posted posted on Fri, Dec 2, 2011 2:41 PM I just found out a few minutes ago. Very sad. I will miss him.
KBT3 King Bushwich the 33rd Tiki Socialite Ling Cod Beach, CA 90808 Joined: Jan 10, 2005 Posts: 1738	KBT3 King Bushwich the 33rd Posted posted on Fri, Dec 2, 2011 2:51 PM E pili mau nâ pômaika’i me ia (May blessings ever be with him)
R rugbymatt Member Sacramento Joined: Jun 03, 2005 Posts: 1205	R rugbymatt Posted posted on Fri, Dec 2, 2011 4:12 PM So sad to hear of Bill's passing. His great legacy will live on.
B bigbrotiki Tiki Socialite Tiki Island, above the Silverlake Joined: Mar 25, 2002 Posts: 11621	B bigbrotiki Posted posted on Fri, Dec 2, 2011 7:27 PM What a great life lived! To have experienced the complete 20th Century! And he had the stories to tell about it. And the humor. Somewhere up there an angel got a ukelele.
M MadDogMike Grand Member (8 years) The Anvil of the Sun Joined: Mar 30, 2008 Posts: 11036	M MadDogMike Posted posted on Fri, Dec 2, 2011 9:19 PM Very sad but not entirely unexpected. I'm so grateful he was willing to give of himself and share his experiences with us "whippersnappers". The tiki community has lost a treasure.
H Hakalugi Special Tiki Central Agent Redondo Beach, CA Joined: Aug 10, 2004 Posts: 3465	H Hakalugi Posted posted on Fri, Dec 2, 2011 9:47 PM From: http://billtapia.com/blog/2011/12/rip-bill-tapia-1908-2011/ RIP… Bill Tapia 1908-2011 Widely believed to be the oldest performing musician ever to take the stage, jazz ukulele legend Bill Tapia is dead. He passed away peacefully in his sleep at home in Westminster, California on December 2nd at the age of 103. With a career that spanned over 90 years, he was the last living link to the earliest days of both jazz and the ukulele as a popular instrument. Born New Years Day 1908 in Honolulu, Tapia got his first instrument at the age of 7 from Manuel Nunes, one of the first and most respected ukulele makers in Hawai’i. He started his career entertaining World War I troops at USO shows in 1918. After seeing John Philip Sousa’s band perform, he came up with a unique version of Stars and Stripes Forever that was later copied by numerous Hawaiian musicians. From that point on, he never stopped performing and sharing his love of music, infectious wit and charming personality with one and all. After switching from ukulele to banjo and guitar in order to get more work, Bill spent his early career bouncing back and forth from Hawai’i to the West Coast playing on steamships. He performed as a backup musician with such luminaries as Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Fats Waller and Louis Armstrong, as well as everyone who was anyone in the early Hawaiian music scene. He played with Johnny Noble’s band at the opening of the iconic Royal Hawaiian Hotel in 1927, returning to perform at the hotel’s reopening in 2009. For a time he was employed as a “musical driver”, serving as a tour guide and teaching a few ukulele chords to Hollywood stars including Clark Gable and Shirley Temple during the instrument’s first national craze. Tapia spent World War II in Honolulu leading a 14 piece band in “blackout ballrooms”, with all the lights out to avoid possible detection by Japanese bombers. After the war, Bill relocated to the San Francisco area, continuing to tour for several years with swing bands such as Charlie Barnet’s group. Tiring of life on the road, he settled down with wife Barbie and daughter Cleo, playing in TV orchestras, as a sideman with local bands, and teaching guitar. An entire generation of Bay Area guitarists have fond memories of learning their first licks from “Tappy” at Campagna Music in Lafayette, where he worked for several decades. Around the turn of the last century, Bill lost both his wife and daughter and relocated to Orange County to be closer to relatives. Soon after, he was rediscovered and embarked on perhaps the unlikeliest career comeback in music history. Returning to his ukulele roots, he released his first CD “Tropical Swing” in 2004 at the age of 96, featuring jazz and Hawaiian standards. The title track was a 1936 recording on Okeh Records, his only previous release. Riding the wave of a new ukulele resurgence, Bill was soon in demand at clubs and festivals up and down the West Coast, Hawai’i, New York and even Japan. He followed up Tropical Swing with Duke of Uke (2005) and Livin’ It LIve (2009), showcasing his amazing live show. All three of these CDs made the national jazz charts and received airplay on hundreds of radio stations nationwide. Earlier this year, Live at the Warner Grand was released, documenting his 100th birthday concert. Slowed but not stopped by a broken hip, Tapia continued to tour until late in 2010. Bill Tapia was inducted into the Ukulele Hall of Fame in 2004, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hawaiian Academy of Recording Arts in 2011. He was perhaps the most beloved and revered figure in the ukulele world, and everyone who ever knew him or saw him perform will be forever inspired. Funeral arrangements are pending.
B bigtikidude Tiki Socialite Anaheim,Ca. Joined: Aug 10, 2004 Posts: 9222	B bigtikidude Posted posted on Sat, Dec 3, 2011 12:39 AM Very Sad indeed, Was always great fun seeing him play with the Smokin' Menehunes. He was a True living legend. Jeff(btd)
TM tiki mick Tiki Socialite SOCAL Joined: May 12, 2004 Posts: 4094	TM tiki mick Posted posted on Sat, Dec 3, 2011 8:50 AM http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45530825/ns/today-entertainment/
B bigbrotiki Tiki Socialite Tiki Island, above the Silverlake Joined: Mar 25, 2002 Posts: 11621	B bigbrotiki Posted posted on Sun, Dec 4, 2011 5:34 PM Wanted to share this amazing pic of handsome Bill in his younger years: This man smoked reefer with Louis Armstrong! Not the 50s Armstrong, the 30s Armstrong!
TG The Gnomon Member MD-DC-VA Joined: May 01, 2007 Posts: 1293	TG The Gnomon Posted posted on Mon, Dec 5, 2011 6:06 AM My condolences to family and friends. I never knew the guy, nor knew of him, but I have to send my props out to the tiki centenarian.
LLT little lost tiki Tiki Socialite Orange,CA-right near the Circle! Joined: Jun 12, 2006 Posts: 7763	LLT little lost tiki Posted posted on Tue, Dec 6, 2011 7:02 PM Godspeed Mr. Tapia! You made the world much brighter with your talent and warm generous nature!
TM tiki mick Tiki Socialite SOCAL Joined: May 12, 2004 Posts: 4094	TM tiki mick Posted posted on Wed, Dec 7, 2011 9:07 AM Los Angeles Times http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-bill-tapia-20111206,0,6336329.story Hawaii http://www.kitv.com/r/29910685/detail.html http://www.khon2.com/news/local/story/Ukulele-legend-Bill-Tapia-dies-at-103-years-old/MsSTV2h8GEqmHe8ujP1HdQ.cspx Miami http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/05/2533316/bill-tapia-virtuoso-ukulele-player.html SF Bay Area http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_19476786 Ohio http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/life_and_entertainment/2011/12/07/1a-showtell07-art-g7sf3crd-1.html Kansas City http://www.kansascity.com/2011/12/05/3303633/bill-tapia-virtuoso-ukulele-player.html Wisconsin http://wtaq.com/news/articles/2011/dec/02/ukulele-player-bill-tapia-dies-at-103/ Washington http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20111205/NEWS02/712059848 MSNBC/Today Show http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45530825/ns/today-entertainment/ UPI http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/Music/2011/12/03/Ukulele-master-Bill-Tapia-dead-at-103/UPI-51121322928451/ REUTERS http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/03/us-billtapia-idUSTRE7B201L20111203 REUTERS LATIN AMERICA http://lta.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idLTASIE7B200P20111203 Music News.com http://www.music-news.com/shownews.asp?H=Bill-Tapia,-world%C3%ADs-oldest-performer,-dies-at-103&nItemID=46583 Noise11.com http://www.noise11.com/news/bill-tapia-world%E2%80%99s-oldest-performer-dies-at-103-20111206 GERMANY http://www.kuvi.de/news/25532_musiker-bill-tapia-gestorben.html PAKISTAN http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Entertainment/06-Dec-2011/Ukulele-star-Bill-Tapia-dies-aged-103 ARGENTINA http://www.eltribuno.info/salta/104829-Muere-a-los-103-anos-el-interprete-de-ukelele-Bill-Tapia.note.aspx SWITZERLAND http://www.tagesschau.sf.tv/Nachrichten/Archiv/2011/12/05/Kultur/Ukulele-Star-Bill-Tapia-ist-gestorben BAHRAIN http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=319081 ITALY http://www.ansa.it/web/notizie/rubriche/mondo/2011/12/03/visualizza_new.html_10346633.html NETHERLANDS http://www.destentor.nl/algemeen/cultuurstn/article9998308.ece PERU http://entretenimiento.terra.com.pe/musica/muere-a-los-103-anos-interprete-de-ukelele-bill-tapia,d71d6055bb304310VgnVCM4000009bf154d0RCRD.html SLOVAKIA http://www.webnoviny.sk/kultura/zomrel-zrejme-najstarsi-vystupujuci-h/436367-clanok.html CANADA http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/DAILY+DISH/5811443/story.html http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Entertainment+glance/5805474/story.html FRANCE http://www.ukulele.fr/dc/index.php/2011/12/02/1019-bill-tapia-1908-2011 SWEDEN http://norran.se/2011/12/kultur/bill-tapia-dog-103-ar-gammal/ http://www.helagotland.se/noje/artikel.aspx?articleid=7277651 CZECH REPUBLIC http://www.mediafax.cz/kultura/3972229-Zemrel-nejstarsi-koncertujici-hudebnik-na-svete-bylo-mu-103-let DENMARK http://ekstrabladet.dk/nyheder/samfund/article1668578.ece NORWAY http://www.abcnyheter.no/nyheter/2011/12/03/verdens-eldste-musiker-er-doed http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/verden/1.7902334 POLAND http://tvp.info/informacje/kultura/zmarl-najstarszy-muzyk-swiata/5779177 LITHUANIA http://www.ve.lt/naujienos/kultura/muzika/mire-vyriausias-pasaulyje-muzikantas-656733/ AUSTRALIA http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-05/veteran-ukulele-player-bill-tapia-dies/3712820/?site=sydney UNITED KINGDOM http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/8932911/Ukulele-player-who-was-oldest-performing-musician-in-world-dies.html http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/entertainment/Ukelele+player+Bill+Tapia+dies-102468.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16021947

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