Before Don Ho there was Alfred Apaka, the Golden Voice of Hawaii. During the 1950s Apaka was Hawaii’s most famous entertainer, and his show was a must-see for all visitors.
Apaka was indeed the most influential local performer of his time, setting the standard for all modern Hawaiian music. His voice, masculine good looks and personality truly helped put Henry Kaiser’s Hawaiian Village on the map.
Former This Week Magazine Publisher Ron Cruger said, “Alfred Apaka’s magical voice filled the sweet Hawaiian air with thoughts of love and dreams of what could be. When Apaka sang, a hush fell over those listening. Most had never heard such beauty weave through the air. It was romantic and strong. It made you dream.”
Born into a musical family in 1919, Apaka was Hawaiian, Chinese and Portuguese. He came from Hawaiian royalty. His great-aunt Lydia Kaonohiponiponiokalani Aholo was an educator and the daughter of another great Hawaiian musician, Queen Lydia Liliuokalani.
The legendary musician’s son, Jeffrey, also a fine musician, says of his father, “I like to think that dad’s musical training came in a direct line from the queen.” Alfred and Jeffrey carry their great-aunt’s surname, Aholo. Alfred’s father, Alfred Sr., was an accomplished musician himself and later recorded with his son for Capitol Records.
When Alfred graduated from Roosevelt in 1938, he thought he might become a doctor. But his interest in music took him to the Alexander Young Hotel where he played bass and sang with vocalist Leilani Blaisdell. Two years later he was performing at the Lexington Hotel’s famous Hawaiian room in New York, and “Hellzapoppin’,” a Broadway show.
Apaka’s great talent eventually landed him a spot as a featured singer on the legendary “Hawaii Calls” radio broadcasts. Soon came regular shows with the Moana Serenaders at Waikiki’s stately Moana Hotel.
From the Moana he moved to Don the Beachcomber’s, where in 1952 Bob Hope “discovered” him. He appeared on Hope’s TV show three times and on numerous radio shows.
Appearances on Ed Sullivan’s prestigious “Talk of The Town” and “The Dinah Shore Show” followed, giving national television exposure for Apaka’s golden voice and Hawaiian music.
Apaka was best known for his lavish shows in the Hawaiian Village’s Tapa Room and later in the property’s enormous geodesic dome built to accommodate his large crowds. As his fame grew he became a well-known recording artist, spreading the appreciation of Hawaiian music to the world.
Sterling Mossman, the “Hula Cop” who worked with Apaka on “Hawaii Calls,” recalled, “I used to do an imitation of him at the Barefoot Bar and Queen’s Surf. One night he came to see me imitating him and damn near fell off the chair!”
Apaka was planning his own national television special at the time of his unexpected heart attack and death at the age of 40, on Jan. 30, 1960, 52 years ago this week. A rumor is that he was buried with a microphone. Jeff says it isn’t so.
In 1997 Apaka was honored by a prestigious Na Hoku Hanohano Lifetime Achievement Award and in 1999 with an album, “Lost Recordings of Hawaii’s Golden Voice.”
“Alfred and I were personal friends,” Don Ho recalled, “and I was a fan of his. He was a classy singer and had more charm than anybody.”
Eddie Kamae said Apaka “really made Hawaii look good around the world. He had the personality and talent to compete internationally. He opened the door for other Hawaiian musicians.”
“He was definitely one of my biggest inspirations, maybe the biggest,” said Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole. “The red carnation lei, the spotlight on the ukulele player in the middle, the hula dancers coming out every once in a while — he invented all of that.”
Should you wander through the lobby of the Hilton Hawaiian Village, you’ll find a life-size bronze statue honoring the great romantic baritone Alfred Aholo Apaka.
When the statue’s was dedicated in 1997, Gladys Brandt, who had been a longtime family friend, said, “His ability to render a Hawaiian melody was unduplicated for the time, and perhaps forever.”
If you want hear the sounds of an Apaka, catch son Jeff at the Hilton’s Tapa Bar each Sunday from 4 to 6 p.m. In March there will be a tribute to the Golden Voice of Hawaii.
Bob Sigall, author of the “Companies We Keep” books, looks through his collection of old photos to tell stories each Friday of Hawaii people, places and companies. Email him at Sigall@Yahoo.com.
