This is my favorite section! It enabled me to have had the privilege of spending some time with Danny Couch, and be given the rare opportunity to ask him some questions about his musical career, and just talk candidly. Danny lights up when discussing his career, and rightly so, pride emerges with every answer. His contagious demeanor took me down the road of success right along side him. For that Danny.. I thank you. I am proud and honored to share some enlightening facts about you with your fans.

    One thing I have always wanted to know was What inspired Danny to begin his singing career? He responded by saying. "I was born with it. There’s not a time in my life, as a young child, that I didn’t realize this passion was in me. At probably four or five years old I was imagining playing the drums in front of the TV cameras, and knowing that I could really play. I didn’t know I could sing though. I took cookie cans; boxes, put a little nail through the cookie can cover, and made my cymbal. And I'd turn it over and used it as my drum. Use a plastic barrel as my tom-tom, and a box, to get a lower sound. And I was visualizing that I was on TV shows. It was really in my soul, I wasn’t pretending, I knew, I could see it. Every child somewhere along the way says "Oh I’d like to do this, or do that." This was so deep in me. It wasn’t saying, "I want to do this" I had no choice, that's what I’m trying to say. I would say "I know what I’m going to be," I didn’t say think, I was born with it, there’s no other explanation I don’t know what else to say, except Thank you God for this great gift"

    I then asked What made you decide to choose a Musical Career? "I think it was the way music in general affected me. To hear a song at a young age, or to hear the drums, or any instrument for that matter, and have it affect me so much emotionally. I think my greatest gift, is my hearing. Despite my hearing having been affected by my drumming career, what I hear, and how I developed this special hearing for music is amazing in itself. I can hear the music come across, and I can separate every instrument and tell you exactly what each piece is doing as this whole thing is going on. What I’m trying to say is, I hear special parts that no one else seems to pick up. I am constantly saying "Did you hear that?" Very few people who are in the studios that I work with have that kind of ear. In essence this true gift I have is this ear for music which drives the passion, or the passion drives the ear. I don’t know which."

    Touch 

 Do you think you have a photographic memory? "Musically, Yes, if you want to call it photographic, As far as remembering somebody’s birthday… not. Special days… no.. I don’t know what it is, I can hear a song one time and I’m suddenly humming it, not quite the whole song, maybe the hook, the bridge. I’m suddenly humming this and it’s got me."

     How old were you when you sang your first song? "I was five years old. The first song I ever wrote and sang was a song called, I wish I was an angel, and angel that could fly, I’d fly up to heaven and stay there all my life. (singing as he spoke) It was probably sung to the music of something else. There were other songs like "Tell Laura I Love Her" or Johnny and Laura Were Lovers. (As he got carried away laughing and singing the song) You know all those kinds of songs. In all sincerity I didn’t know I would sing, all I knew is it was destiny. I could have become anything but what I could see was overwhelming, it wasn’t that it was my desire, it was there no matter how I tried to herd it, and even cut it off, I couldn’t. As a young kid I had sleepless nights, I am still an insomniac because the music just doesn’t stop. Does it drive you crazy? Yes, because I want to do it more, and because I don’t have enough time to do more of it. It drives me because I’m still somewhat of a procrastinator. Because the changes in music now, happens so fast, I try to think of the hooks in the music today… I think my greatest fear is; if I were to take the contemporary music that I really like, and I know I’m good at and change, I would offend those that enjoyed my music up until now. So I’m in a dilemma, to satisfy all these people and also today's different tastes. I will never be labeled "Danny Couch is this pop artist who is this or is that, to label me is almost impossible. I love all music so much.. jazz, pop, infusion, Hawaiian, standards, classics. That’s the reason the album I did "Almost Paradise" is so diversified, because I didn’t know who I was going to reach. And I just wanted people to know I still can sing this, I can still play that, so I just basically put out a selection. Those that listen to this CD can pick and choose what they prefer. The last two have also been diverse. People have different choices of music types and these CDs have selections for all of them. If I were to stick with one particular type of music, I would do an injustice. So I’m not labeled as a jazz singer or a pop artist, or a Hawaiian singer. Unfortunately I love all of them; That's probably my worst dilemma. That’s my curse, I love music so much, chuckling, I even love country!"

   When did you launch your own group? "The Rolling Coconuts Age 9, I don’t want to say that it was my own group, I would like to say that it was the first group I was in, we were literally no-bodies.  There was a guy named Joe Falisa, and another guy named Joe. These two guys played guitar. I was delivering papers, mowing yards, lawns, and I sold all occasion cards to make enough money to buy my first drum set. The one song that we played day after day after day was, Credence Clearwater Revival, and I don’t even remember the name of the song. (Proceeded to demonstrate the song, drumming on his knees) It was totally repetitive and we played it for hours. So that’s the first song I played, as far as with a band. With a school band I played Ain’t too Proud to Beg, (Oh Gosh I’m giving away my age!) But I really played drums the first time when I was in the 4th or 5^th grade. I was honored by my band teacher stopping the music and saying "I want you all to listen to this guy, he’s going to be a star." At the time it meant nothing to me, I was in 5^th grade. As time went along and I got older, I realized it was a great compliment, thank god I didn’t understand it then, I would have been so terrified. First song I played on drums literally was The Theme Song From Charlie Brown. (Sang and demonstrated) That was THE first song ever."

    Were you a solo performer at the start of your SINGING career or with a group? "I was with a band, The Rolling Coconuts; I was not the lead singer, that’s how good everybody else was. It was a family group. It included my cousins, uncle, and an aunt. That was my first REAL Band. Until today I think it was the most gifted band I’ve ever worked with other than" The Alii's.

Kit Samson, Sound Advise. early 70's at the Kahala Hilton's Maile Lounge. Danny would pinch hit on drums when the regular drummer couldn't make it. For a short time later he actually joined the band. Kit Samson was the band leader of Sound Advice. Kit, of course, featured Danny on several songs. It was here that members of the Ali'is heard him and convinced him to join their group in Waikiki. I have had the privilege of accompanying Danny to the Kahala where we spent time talking and "flashing back" about the days when he accompanied Kit Samson. The general area brought back very happy and familiar memories for Danny and I was thrilled to share his stories with him once again. 

    Please tell me about your Star Search debut, "1984 I won the Hawaii auditions and went on to perform in the nationally televised competition, I came in second. Durrelle Coleman came in first. Somebody had called me and said, This is the last day for this show Star Search, you should go down and audition. Took place here in Hawaii. I said I really don’t want to do this. Well I called down there and said, Hi, My name is Danny Couch, can I come and audition? They said, well we’re full; we’re not looking for anyone else. In response I said, Would you do me a favor, cause by that time The Alii's started, I joined the end of ’79 to early part of ’83. I said, could you do me a favor and just ask the people around there and see if anyone knows the name Danny Couch? I heard him ask; Does anybody know a Danny Couch? Well apparently the place went crazy. His next comment was, Why don’t you come down and you’ll be the last person to audition. And I went down, and auditioned, The judges were horribly tired and the moment I finished, he said You know what? You made our trip. Sounds terrible but those were his exact words. I got called two or three weeks later, unprepared, and went down to do the show, auditioned, won the Hawaii audition and went on to perform in the nationally televised competition, that’s how it went."

Touch or LINK

    Was that your first encounter with singing publicly? As far as professionally? "No, I’ve always had my own band. I’ve always performed but I was always the drummer. My true debut was with a band called The Alii's. Because it was the first time that I was the singer and drummer. (Read article from Wayne Harada) What happened was, I released an album with The Alii's, Seven of the songs became number one hits. In perspective there are so many great singers in this band called The Alii's that I really wasn’t the lead singer of the band. I was just a contribution to the band. But for some reason the producers of the group heard something that they thought was marketable. For that time. So when we finally recorded the album I recorded seven of the songs, six became #1 hits, the seventh hit #2. If the seventh had hit number one also I would have had my first Platinum Record. It would have been presented to The Alii's. Can you hear the difference in my voice in the songs on that album? Yes, It's Amazing! I sing lead on seven of the songs on that album. A great singer named Carlos Barboza sings the other."

photos above are from my collectable LP

  The complete Alii's album sound clips are now available at our Lyrics Page only.. What are words to songs without the music? If you haven't yet heard this album it is a beautiful album to hear, and a collectors item! I also feature photos of Danny unavailable elsewhere at Aliis Slideshow and Solo Days Thanks to those who knew him "Then"

 How did it feel to pick up the microphone for the first time? "Terrifying, it was the most terrifying moment of my life! With The Alii's I hated the thought of having to get up in front. Hold the microphone, and sing because I always covered myself with drums and cymbals. The drums were my zone. So people couldn't actually see me and would say "Who’s singing?" and they would have to stretch to see, actually come up and look."

Star Search… "The Alii's put me up front first; I was terrified with that. Then I was introduced at a place called Trappers. My first Solo gig, on my own. I was totally the Frontman. I got comfortable with that but still in order to get up, it took me two or three songs to be able to say Ok I’m fine. But Star Search! When those lights and the camera’s came on… You want to talk about feeling like you’re going to pass out? Somewhere deep inside of me something incredible above all my fears just said, do the best you can… It said go through the motions. It was like a detachment, as if looking at myself saying those words. It was the only way I could deal with it. I still have those fears today, I’m not afraid to tell people that! Because it is a very unusual situation for a performer."

                    Is there anything in particular that sets off these feelings? "Yes," Seeing friends in the audience? Quickly responds. "Yes, there are certain things that set it off the majority of the time, but more so, Friends. Especially if they’ve seen that show before. You know you have to go through the motions of the show. That’s a sign of being a perfectionist! "That’s very profound. People I’ve never met, that have never seen me, may not be able to pick up my quirks. My little mess ups here and there. But it’s different with those that have seen me over and over. It’s not the point of being criticized that bothers me. Of course this show is repetitious and of course if something’s not broken, don’t fix it. But I really believe in trying to add more. To go out and do the same show all the time is difficult. When it was new, and fresh every moment, no problem, and no fear." That must cause a lot of strain on you? "In order to deliver this show, knowing that people have seen it already some 5, 6, 7, 10, 20 times regardless, I still have to deliver it. I hate to call it my job, I don’t want to call it my job, because it truly comes from my heart. There’s no other way to put it. It’s real whether it’s the first time or the 100,000th time. Being able to deliver it comes from my soul. So what I do is.. I have to dig beyond those thoughts saying, they’ve heard it, they’ve heard it, and go with my soul saying let’s do it the best we can. I can’t do anything less; it has to be everything I have."

     Danny you put so much emotion and love into every performance, I’ve seen a number of your performances and it shows. Each show is different, each one shows heart, sometimes in a different place, but it’s always there. You are able to reach and touch everyone seeing you on stage, that’s what counts, that's what your fans see, hear, and come to expect. That's what keeps them coming back...

 And they do come back!