Forevermore - Musik

Musician. Known As 'The Golden Voice Of Hawaii ' Apaka Was Considered One Of The Most Influential Performers In The History Of Hawaii's Popular Music. He Sang Modern Hawaii Music With Joyful Baritone Vocals And With Highly Entertaining Performances. A Native Of Honolulu Hawaii Apaka Grew Up On Music. His Father Alfred A. Apaka His Aunt Lydia Aholo The Daughter Of Queen Lilioukalani Was A Talented Musician In Her Own Right And So Would His Son Jeff Apaka Be Later On. A Graduate Of The Roosevelt High School He Was A Talented Athlete Singer Emcee And A ROTC Cadet Captain. The Family Moved To Molokai Hawaii When Apaka Was Young And Then Moved To Oahu Hawaii. A Member Of The Musical Group 'Alfred Apaka & His Hawaiians ' He Got His First Big Break When He Was Given An Opportunity By Orchestra Leader Don McDiarmid To Be His New Lead Singer For His Group 'Royal Hawaiians.' Apaka Later Went To New York New York And Performed At The Hotel Lexington With Ray McKinney And His Band. Apaka Was Also A Featured Singer On The Program "Hawaii Calls " And Played Regular Gigs With The Moana Serenaders At The Moana Hotel. He Also Sang At Donn Beach's Famous Don The Beachcomber Restaurant Where By More Good Luck He Was Discovered By Bob Hope While He Was Performing During A Luau. Apaka Then Went To Hollywood California And Appeared On Bob Hope's Radio And Televison Show. A Featured Singer At The Hawaiian Villages Tapa Room From 1955 To 1960 He Was Also Known For His Many Albums On The Decca Record Label And The ABC Record Labels. In 1960 Apaka Was Making Plans For A Nationally Broadcast Television Special But On January 30 Of That Year He Suffered A Fatal Attack And Died At The Age Of 40. The Day Of His Passing Became Known As 'The Day Hawaii Cried.' Following His Death He Was Given A Highly Publicized Funeral And He Was Even Buried With A Microphone. In 1999 An Album Of Lost Recordings Recorded Between 1945 And 1949 Was Released As "Lost Recordings Of Hawaii's Golden Voice." The Album Was Awarded The Prestigious Na Hoku Hanohano Award. Apaka Who Recorded Over 6 Albums Was Also Featured In The Book "The Golden Years Of Hawaiian Entertainment" 1974 By Tony Todaro And The Book Was Also Dedicated To His Memory. Some Of Apaka's Many Recordings Are 'Aloha Oe ' 'Sleepy Lagoon ' 'I Will Remember You ' 'Hapa Haole Hula Girl My Honolula Hula Girl ' 'Little Brown Gal ' 'Sleepy Lagoon ' 'Hawaiian Wedding Song Ke Kali Nei Au ' 'Far Across The Sea ' 'Forever Lei Aloha Lei Makame ' And 'Princess Poo-Poo Ly Has Plenty Papaya.' read less