Don Ho's Introduction

For more information on Don Ho and Danny Couch's career history spent together check out our introduction pages.  Danny performed as

Don's drummer, singing behind the set, until Don took him from behind the drumset, placed a mic in his hand and let the audience hear his angelic voice.  Danny performed with Don at the Hilton Hawaiian Dome from 1980-1990

We'll Remember You! 

			I was at a HAPA concert when Nathan told us the news about Mr. Ho's passing. Nathan was Don's bass player for 16 years. There was a somber mood at tonight's concert in Seattle
I		Donated to Fanaddicts Click on I have a photo of me and Don Ho dated Sep. 1970.  It was taken after he invited me to his room behind stage, along with several of my friends.  I would like to make a copy of it and forward it to you.   I was employed with Piedmont Airlines  and invited to go to Hawaii by Braniff.  I would like for Mr. Ho to see	A Special "I'll Remember You!" "Hi Lea, This is a photo of Don and Don taken Sept. 1970. With all the people he has met I know he won't remember this, but please give him my regards." Big Mahalo for adding your memory to Don Knight: Belews Creek, N. Carolina  received Mar. 07

(above are some excerpts from his interview)

"All though my career, I've believed that there's a difference between being a singer and being an entertainer. A singer has a good voice, but an entertainer knows how to connect." ~ Don Ho

"Ain't  No Big Thing, Brudda"." ~ Don Ho

If you are not aware of it yet.. Danny worked with Don Ho earlier in his career with the Aliis and also as Don's featured singer and drummer for 8 1/2 years.  I also had the honor of running into Bill Lopes accidentally  in his Tacoma Restaurant "The Aloha Cafe". We had the chance to talk story about Don days. Bill was a backup bass guitar player prior to Danny's tenure with the Aliis but knew Danny well. He is still holding impromptu concerts and sends his Aloha to Danny and Don.  It's a small world 2500 miles away from the islands

Don Ho (Donald Tai Loy Ho) Made A Rare Radio Interview on KINE
Don Ho with 45 years in the Music Business, joined Harry B., live in the KINE Radio studio, to recall his early days at the family tavern in Kaneohe, "Honey's", followed by the early days in Waikiki at "Dukes" "Duke Kahanamoku's". It was Don Ho in a rare radio appearance! This interview included comments about singers/musicians attached to his backup band The Aliis, but earlier than Danny's tenure. The next interview with Don will include the days at the Dome (Hilton Hawaiian) during the years Danny accompanied him so stay tuned.

In this interview Don Ho sat In With Harry Soria for Territorial Airwaves as he was joined by Don Ho in the studio. They traced his musical legacy from his early years and into Waikiki. They spun some of the earliest Don Ho recordings Hawaiian 105 KINE (105.1 FM) and streamed via their website http://hawaiian105.com/

For more information on Don Ho and Danny Couch's career history spent together. Danny as lead backup singer and drummer for the infamous Aliis go to our Introduction and Aliis Pages.

I had the privilege of meeting Don Ho twice within a two week period of time. The first being in Tacoma Washington, then later at his show at the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel with some special friends. I was shocked to see that he actually remembered me by name. After 45 years of performing, Don still has one of the most outstanding shows in Hawaii, and performs to sold out audiences. He did "Tiny Bubbles" early on in his show, explaining with his quick sense of humor, that he performs the song twice in each show -- at the beginning and at the end -- because his older fans sometimes forget that he has already played it. Through-out the show he joked about how he and his fans have aged, seeming both nostalgic about the past, and proud of his longevity and ability to continue performing.
    It was a must see if you could, whether  he was on tour cross country or on his home stage. He will be sadly missed by all his fans.

Biography
Don (Donald Tai Loy Ho) was born on Aug. 13 in Honolulu, Hawaii and is the father of 10 children. In the little Honolulu neighborhood of Kakaako of Hawaiian, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, German parentage but soon moved to Kaneohe. Don's climb to today's heady heights began in a cocktail lounge in the windward Oahu town of Kaneohe called Honey's, named after his mother. his dream wasn't to be on stage, but in the air. In 1954, he joined the Air Force and became a fighter pilot. But an emergency crash landing made him long to be back home.

Ho left the Air Force in 1959 and took over the family restaurant, Honey's, named after his mother. To bring in more business, Don put together a band and began performing. Customers were hooked.
 After returning from the Air Force, Honey's was slowly dying and another war wasn't imminent. "When I took it over, the place was empty." It was packed everyday during the war years. My dad said "Son, why don't you go make music." Ho gathered a couple of friends who knew how to play musical instruments and started a band. "I was terrible," says Ho. "So, I just played very softly." Needless to say, business boomed.

Playing and learning from the talented musicians he hired for shows, Ho created his own musical image. In 1962, Ho began playing at Duke's in Waikiki. "That's when things started happening for us with records, TV shows and everything," says Ho. These were the days of Don's greatest development as an entertainer and a star. Backing him were the sensational five Aliis, (of which Danny Couch was one, if you listen you may be able to hear his familiar voice) playing piano, drums, two guitars, xylophone and doubling on half a dozen other instruments. Don presided at the organ, a glass of scotch in his hand, a cigarette burning in the ashtray. The music was outstanding; the humor was fast and snappy. Tourists came, but so did locals and, after a while, visiting Hollywood stars--any of whom might take to the stage. Raising his glass in salute, Don would urge the audience to "suck'em up," and they did.

Those rowdy, rollicking years brought stardom to Don and made Duke's Hawaii's most popular nightclub. Don, the group The Aliis, Duke Kahanamoku, Kimo McVay, young singers like Robin Wilson, Angel Pablo, Sam Kapu and everybody else on stage had a ball every night. The audience felt it and shared it and kept coming back for more. During his years at Duke's, Don literally erupted on the national show biz scene, first and most suddenly in a two-week engagement at Hollywood's ultra-posh Coconut Grove in 1966. His opening night was a triumph, breaking all previous attendance records, and he went on to play to turn-away crowds nightly.

With such a "debut," other star's turns naturally followed: return engagements at the Grove, feature spots at the Sands in Las Vegas, Harrah's at Lake Tahoe, the Palmer House in Chicago, the Americana Hotel's Royal Box in New York, TV guest appearances with Johnny Carson, Joey Bishop and Art Linkletter, and his own hour-long color TV special--not to mention a clutch of best-selling LP record albums for Reprise. From his home based in Hawaii, Don launched out to discover old and new fans all over the country.

He is best known for the mellow but catchy song “Tiny Bubbles.” He hosted The Don Ho Show (1976–1977) on ABC, and had cameo roles on such TV shows as The Brady Bunch, Charlie's Angels, Batman, and I Dream of Jeannie. His big-screen credit was as the evil landlord in Joe's Apartment (1996), in which he costarred with singing and dancing cockroaches. Ho continues to appear in Waikiki and on tour.

Don Ho continued to be a popular concert tour draw among fans of all ages. He performed regularly at the Waikīkī Beachcomber Hotel. He also could be seen at the restaurant/night club that he owns called "Don Ho's Island Grill," in downtown Honolulu near Aloha Tower. "The business has changed; it always will change. But we keep grooming the youngsters, try to stay in touch with the healthy aspects of life. When you work with young people, it keeps you feeling younger."

Dressed in a bright Hawaiian shirt, raspberry-tinted glasses and his trademark white slacks and loafers, Don Ho creeps into a white rattan throne behind his electric organ and begins to sing “Tiny Bubbles.”

The crowd at the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel enthusiastically sings along.

“I hate that song,” he tells them, mocking his signature tune. He’ll sing it again at the end of the show because “people my age can’t remember if we did it or not.”

    The legendary Hawaiian crooner, who turns 75 on Saturday, keeps tourists and locals laughing, singing and cheering three nights a week. Ho’s soothing and seductive baritone voice, treasury of stories and warm island personality, have been entertaining generations of fans for four decades.

    Few artists are more associated with one place than Mr. Don Ho, a Waikiki true icon. “Hawaii is my partner,” said Ho. And Ho has no plans of stepping down from the stage anytime soon. “I’ll be here for another 30 years,” he tells his audience. “I’m going to look like hell, but you’ll look like hell too. ... We’ll look like hell together.”

    Schmoozing with fans kept Ho’s spirit young. Keeping with a tradition he started during the height of his popularity in the 1960s and ’70s, he meets with every fan for pictures and autographs. For Ho, it’s not like he’s actually working. “I retired 30 years ago. I just come over and have fun,” Ho said. “And it’s not like I have to work seven days a week anymore. Like in the old days, I worked 24-7 because my fans would stay up to 3 in the morning. Now, lucky if they stay up until 10 o’clock.”

Stars such as Lucille Ball, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra attended Ho’s shows. These days, Ho’s pop star daughter, Hoku Ho, is helping to introduce her father to a younger generation of stars and fans. Maxim magazine named the elder Ho one of “50 Coolest Guys Ever,” and younger musicians including Green Day, the Foo Fighters and No Doubt, have come to Waikiki to watch Ho perform.

Tom Moffatt, a Honolulu concert promoter who works with national groups, says Ho has a place in American music history, but it’s difficult to pinpoint where it is. Tom Moffatt was present in the audience in what turned out to be Don's last performance.

“In a way, he’s Hawaii’s contribution to American music,” Moffatt said, putting him on a par with Dean Martin and Jimmy Buffet as cool, relaxed entertainers. He’s also a “very good musician, very conscientious,” he said.

While the Don Juan looks that made him a star on stage and television may have diminished, Ho hasn’t lost his smile, charisma, bronze tan or his love for the islands.

His worldwide base of loyal fans keep returning to see his show — now with their children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren. And the women still swoon over The Don.

Nina Armstrong, 67, of Orange, Calif.,  has seen Ho perform about 20 times since the 1970s. She gushed about a smooch she got from Don about 30 years ago.

“Years ago, he was always kissing somebody,” she said.

Her son my friend, Ray Armstrong, of Sumner, Wash., brought his three teenage daughters to see the living legend.

“My kids will see them as a piece of history of the Hawaiian Islands,” he said. “It won’t necessarily be their style of music, but he’s part of the flavor of Hawaii. When you think of Hawaii, you think of Don Ho.”

In addition to “Tiny Bubbles,” his other hits include “I’ll Remember You,” “With All My Love” and the “Hawaiian Wedding Song,” which was sung by Elvis Presley in the movie “Blue Hawaii.” During his nearly two-hour show, Don reminisces about everything from the old charm of Hawaii and the attack on Pearl Harbor to marijuana and how many children he’s fathered.

     An outstanding high school athlete was a high school football star, he spent a year studying physical education in Springfield, Mass., before returning to the islands. He finished school at the University of Hawaii  and spent five years as a U.S. Air Force pilot in Texas and California before appearing on countless television shows, including “The Don Ho Show” on ABC from 1976-77. One of Ho’s most memorable TV appearances was a 1972 cameo on an episode of “The Brady Bunch.”

Ho has 10 children, including Hoku, 23, who sometimes performed with her father. “When my daughter sings with me, I’m really proud,” Don said. “People can tell on my face and my smile. I cannot hide it. It just automatically lights up. I really love my children. The minute they walk on stage and sing with me, the audience knows it’s a different me, and I try to be cool, but you can’t hide some stuff.”

TINY BUBBLES      Play MP3   Don was allegedly tricked into recording "Tiny Bubbles," a song that had nothing to do with Hawaii until he recorded it with additional Hawaiian lyrics.

© 1966 Lyrics & Music: Leon Pober
Recordings: CD: Numerous CDs by Don Ho
 

     Don Ho Back in Action Sept. 30 '05   Performed Thursdays & Sundays
DADDY'S GIRL: Don Ho enjoyed a quiet moment with his daughter, Hoku, while emcee Jackie Bay warmed up the crowd and introduced the opening acts Tuesday at the Waikiki Beachcomber. Don, who celebrated his 75th birthday in August, entertained the capacity crowd for almost 90 minutes with a perfectly balanced blend of Hawaiian songs, comedy and audience participation. Hoku joined him for a beautiful rendition of "Me Kealoha Pumehana (With All My Love)" and showed her pop appeal singing "The Nearness of You" solo with instrumental support from Former Alli'i band member, Benny Chong on ukulele.

 provided by the Honolulu Star Bulletin
 

If you have attended Don's Show and have some photos to share, I'd be happy to post them.

Email To Lea

Also if you would like to send a message to Don's family please send an email or post on our guestbook I'll be sure they receive it. ~Mahalo

December 6, 2005
Don Ho undergoes experimental heart procedure

Legendary Hawaiian crooner Don Ho was recovering in an intensive care unit at a Thailand hospital today following an experimental stem cell procedure on his ailing heart, his spokeswoman and a close friend told The Associated Press. Ho, 75, known for his signature tune "Tiny Bubbles," underwent a new medical procedure not approved in the United States that involved taking stem cells from his own blood to multiply them and later to inject them into his heart, in hopes of regeneration.

"He came through the procedure with flying colors," agent Ed Brown, a close Ho friend, said in a telephone interview from his home in Malibu, Calif. "His vitals are excellent. Everything seems to be where it's supposed to be and everyone is quite happy."However, it's premature — because he is in ICU — to give you any statement of certainty."

Ho, who has appeared with Hollywood's biggest stars and entertained tourists for more than four decades, has been suffering from heart problems for about a year and had a pacemaker installed a few months ago.
In August, Ho was admitted to a local hospital with shortness of breath. He was treated for an abnormal heart rhythm and released after three days. He soon returned to his Waikiki show on a reduced schedule, but the show at the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel has been dark since he left for Asia on Nov. 26.
"He felt well enough, but his pacer sometimes would go off in his chest and scare the hell out of him," Brown said. "That's a difficult thing to live with right in the middle of 'Tiny Bubbles."'
Publicist and spokeswoman Donna Jung said Ho hopes to return to the stage soon. He is expected to return to Honolulu from Bangkok in about two weeks.

Ho is known as a workaholic, devoted to his fans, since he first performed in Waikiki in the early 1960s. He has refused to join many of his aging fans in retirement. Stars such as Lucille Ball, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra have attended Ho's shows. He also hosted the "The Don Ho Show" on ABC from 1976-77.

"That's all he understands. Work is a form of retirement for him," Brown said. "That's the way he takes his vacation — on the stage." "If he's going to live, he's going to be on that stage."

There were no other medical options for Ho and he did it as a "last resort," Brown said. He called the singer's heart condition, "extremely serious."

"It wouldn't hurt if the millions of his fans would start to pray for him," Brown said. "Don, as do I ... believe in the power of prayer."
The "VesCell" technology Ho underwent was developed by TheraVitae Co., which has offices in Thailand and laboratories in Israel, where Ho's stem cells were sent to be multiplied.
Brown noted that Ho was not participating in controversial procedures involving embryonic stem cells.
"Don did not take stem cells from a fetus. He doesn't believe in that," he said. "He took blood from his own body and re-injected that into his heart." Besides "Tiny Bubbles," Ho's other hits include "I'll Remember You," "With All My Love," and the "Hawaiian Wedding Song."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ho comes to terms with getting older    Dec. 23 '05
The Hawaii icon says he was once dragged off a stage because of his heart
By Tim Ryan
tryan@starbulletin.com
The humor is still there, and so is the glibness and the cool -- but the voice is a bit frail.

Don Ho has just returned from a lifesaving journey that not only has changed his life, but, it seems, his attitude.
"I was going to be a goner," Ho said yesterday. "Only 30 percent of my ticker was working, and getting worse. No choice, man. Had to get on that plane."
The entertainer, a Hawaii icon, arrived in Honolulu on Monday after spending some three weeks in Thailand undergoing a last-ditch experimental stem-cell procedure for his ailing heart.

"I never bothered about my age," Ho said, then laughed at his own naivete. "I walked around this planet like I was 40 forever. But when this whole thing happened to me, someone said, 'You know, you're 75,' and it dawned on me that I wasn't 40 anymore.

"I was going to be a goner. Only 30 percent of my ticker was working, and getting worse. No choice, man. Had to get on that plane."
Don Ho
Isle entertainer

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Getting older happens to everybody, so why did I think I was exempt?"
After hearing about the stem cell procedure, one of Ho's daughters did an Internet search for information. "Then we called the hospital in Thailand, and the doctors said I qualified," Ho said. He called it the "easiest decision I've ever made."

Dr. Amit Patel, a heart surgeon from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, oversaw the procedure in Bangkok, Ho said. The treatment, which has not been approved in the United States, involves multiplying stem cells taken from the patient's own blood, then injecting them into the heart to strengthen the organ. The procedure was developed by TheraVitae Co., which has offices in Thailand and laboratories in Israel.

Ho said he is among the first patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy -- a weakened heart muscle not caused by coronary artery blockages -- selected for the VesCell adult stem cell therapy. Ho, who had a pacemaker implanted earlier this year, was admitted to a hospital in August with shortness of breath and treated for an abnormal heart rhythm.

About a month before he left for Thailand, he had been treated 12 times for "episodes" that caused his pacemaker to go off. Once, Ho's pacemaker "went haywire" in the middle of his Waikiki show before an audience of about 300. The entertainer said he "flew off the chair."
"I couldn't say anything; I just slumped over," Ho said. "They had to drag me off the stage. That sorta tells you something is really wrong."

But it was an at-home incident that "sealed the deal" to seek treatment out of the country.
"I had climbed up on my roof to do some repairs, and all of a sudden my heart just took off and I wanted to slow it down but I couldn't," he said. "I learned that when your heart is only working at 30 percent, you're not supposed to make those kind of moves."

Dr. Edward Shen, Ho's cardiologist, called the Bangkok hospital where the stem cell procedure was done to talk to the physicians. If there are no complications within six weeks -- ending Jan. 20 -- Ho's heart should be back to 75 percent capacity.

"Actually, I feel great right now, like Superman," Ho said. "But I've been told not to over exercise and give my heart a chance to adjust. I won't be repairing the roof for a while." Instead, Ho is taking short walks, including one late Wednesday night in Waikiki. "It was beautiful with just me and the beach."

Ho doesn't know when he'll perform again and doesn't plan to push things. "I'll have to play it by ear. There's no rush. There's a market out there, and when I'm in good health I'll be back."

In the meantime his focus is health, family and friends. This year's Christmas celebration will be extra-special.
"My family and all the kids will be here," he said. "We'll all decorate the tree; that's been our tradition since they were little kids, though they're not little kids anymore.

"Time waits for no one. I am very, very focused on staying healthy and appreciating the moment."

Ho also has another mission.
"I want to get all the information out that I can about this stem cell procedure and try in some way to get the cost down so everyone can afford it," he said. "It's a miracle -- and I'm living proof."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hana Hou For Don Ho — world-renowned for his quintessentially laid-back style of Island music — has recovered from an experimental procedure to bolster his heart muscles. He's looking forward to returning to the Waikiki stage Sunday but isn't sure how his voice will sound.
WEEKLY SHOW  Resumes at 8 p.m.  Thursdays & Sundays
Don Ho isn't worried about how his heart will respond when he returns to the stage Sunday night in Waikiki.

It's his voice that concerns him. "I don't know if I can sing," said Ho, 75, who underwent an experimental stem cell procedure last month in Thailand to bolster his heart muscles. "My stamina's good. I don't want to sit around and do nothing, which is why I've been trying to clean out some junk at home. But I just don't know how my voice is going to sound."

Ho long has been Hawai'i's most recognized entertainer. His experimental surgery on Dec. 5 generated headlines worldwide and gave hope to others with failing hearts.

Sunday's performance, which will include his trademark "Tiny Bubbles," will be the latest step toward resumption of routine as his heart continues to improve.

 January 23, 2006
Don Ho's back on stage

By Eloise Aguiar
Don Ho was back crooning, wisecracking and flirting at his Waikiki showroom last night, less than two months after he underwent an experimental stem cell procedure in Thailand to strengthen his heart.
A sellout crowd of 300 at the Hoku Hale Showroom at the 'Ohana Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel welcomed back the iconic singer in his first performance since Thanksgiving Day.
Wearing white pants, a blue velvet shirt and a white ginger lei, a smiling Ho greeted people entering the showroom for the 8 p.m. show. More than 50 people queued up for a snapshot with Ho, who charmed tourists and called out to old friends by name.
When he walked onstage at 8:30, the audience erupted in a standing ovation. He sat behind an organ and immediately launched into one of his standards, "Night Life."
His signature "Tiny Bubbles" was next, and by the end of the 90-minute show Ho had sung 10 songs and earned a second standing O.
"His charisma and presence were crisp. He was sharp as a tack," said Joe Correa, a Waimanalo rancher who went to the show with his wife and some friends. "It was great to see him do what he does."
Correa said he admired Ho for having the stem cell procedure and thinks it may open doors for others.
Ho, 75, joked with the audience about being away and about his four-piece band being a little rusty, but spoke little about his medical procedure.
He said he plans to be around for another 30 years "but I'll look like hell. If you come and see me in 30 years, you'll look like hell, too."
He had a goblet of a wine-colored liquid on the organ but didn't take a sip.
Singer Melveen Leed was among many local entertainers who were there to support their friend. Leed went onstage to serenade Ho with new lyrics she had written to the song "Smile."
" ... Your life is blessed — and sometimes a mess ... " Leed sang.
"He helped a lot of us with our careers," Leed said in an interview before the show. "He was one of our foundations. He taught me how to be an entertainer."
Jimmy Borges, Marlene Sai, Linda Coble and others also went onstage to sing to, or  with, Ho.
The audience was largely made up of older people and they ate up Ho's act. They sang loud and lustily on "Tiny Bubbles" whenever Ho pointed his microphone at the crowd to give them their cue.
Ho also sang such well-known songs as "I'll Remember You," "Suck 'Em Up," "Hawaiian Wedding Song" and "Pearly Shells." His voice was strong. He slurred a few words and dropped others entirely — trademark Ho song stylings.
'A SYMBOL OF HAWAI'I'
When he walked off the stage about 10 p.m., the crowd gave him a standing ovation and yelled, "Hana hou!" But there was no encore.
For now, Ho will perform on Sundays only; he may add more shows at a later date.
Visitors Jim and Linda Udell from Oregon said last night was the first time they had seen Ho since 1977. "We came back to see the legend," Jim Udell said.
Elizabeth Gehris, a Hawai'i resident during the 1960s who now lives in Cape Cod, Mass., said she used to see his show all the time and tries to catch it during her annual visits here.
"Tonight there's an unusual amount of local people, including local celebrities," said Ho's publicist, Donna Jung. Kimo Kahoano said that when he was a student and an aspiring actor at the Kamehameha Schools, Ho went to the campus to offer his support to students.
"He did something that nobody else did," Kahoano said. "He was able to connect Hawai'i and the Mainland and that, combined with 'Hawaii Five-0,' made a great impact at the time."
Margaret Kamahele, widow of the late entertainer Sonny Kamahele, said, "He inspired a lot of entertainers and was supportive of them. He's been a symbol of Hawai'i for so many years for tourists and locals alike."

At the end of his show, Ho spoke briefly about trying to get the word out about this alternative treatment.

 

Please be sure to check out the rest of our website: www.dannycouchfanaddicts.com

PLEASE VISIT MY FRAPPR MAPS FOR MANY OF MY VARIED INTERESTS/PHOTOGRAPHY/MUSIC/CLASSIC CARS

Military Tribute, Hail and Fairwell

”IZ” ISRAEL KAMAKAWIWOOLE TRIBUTE PAGE

LEA, TBIRD CAR OWNER AND PHOTOGRAPHY

 Intro to Don Ho

Photos/Page/MP3 by Lea

Autographed Photo courtesy of Don Ho

The music here is purely for entertainment and educational purposes only, 
            without any commercial interest whatsoever or profit of any kind.
              Title has copyright by their respective artists and record companies. 
               Please show your support for the artists who gave us this great music 
            by purchasing their CDs.

  Page/additional Text written by Lea Cook

Site Contrived Jan. '01 Launched Apr. '02

All contents, text, music, photos used in this website MAY NOT  be duplicated,

copied or used in any fashion or other website, without written authorization from Danny Couch and Lea Cook, web-owner.