Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 14, Number 5, 1 May 1997 — Monument erected for the "Golden Voice" [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Monument erected for the "Golden Voice"

The "Golden Voice of Hawai'i," legendary singer Alfred Aholo Apaka, ' lives on, 37 years after his passing, in the memory of family, friends and eolleagues and many others for whom he was a beloved symbol of Hawaiian music. In the Waikiki he helped put on the musical map of the world, a crowd of about 1,000 — many VIPs — turned out for a memorial in March to dedicate a 9 ft.-4 in., 700 lb. bronze statue. The statue was unveiled in the lobby of the Tapa Tower at the Hilton Hawaiian Village where he onee performed. The image, created by Kim Duffett, portrays Apaka with his ukulele, wearing his trademark white sharkskin shirt with slacks and a double red carnation lei. After the formal ceremony, many entertainers — including Apaka's contemporaries — paid musical tribute, creating a scene reminiscent of the days when Apaka was alive. Peter Schall, managing director of Hilton Hawaiian Village said that "We asked Duffett to create this statue so residents and visitors will always remember Apaka, who was the Golden Voice of Hawai'i." Alfred Apaka was a direct descendant of King Kaumuali'i. He was born in Honolulu, spent two years on Moloka'i and then settled in Honolulu. Apaka, at the age of five, was a bundle of energy, especially when he played with a hammer. A great aunt, Lydia Kaonohiponiponiokalani Aholo, who was an adopted daughter of Queen Lili'uokalani, learned never to give young Apaka gold watches to play with. The "anvil chorus" he

USO road shows. Apaka at ParaI mount Studios did skits with Hope I and Dorothy Lamour. He stayed I in Hollywood and made a movie I for Universal-International, and at 1 the same time recorded for differ1 ent labels, ABC-Paramount, Decca § and Capitol. In 1955, he opened the Tapa ' Room and was entertainment director at the Village. He appeared on all national variety | TV shows, such as Dinah Shore, Ed | Sullivan, Jack Parr and the Hit !; Parade. ~ Apaka was riding the crest of | his career at age 40. lrving Berlin I requested that Apaka sing his "White Christmas." He had even I completed a pilot for a national TV 1 series in late 1959. On January 30, 1960, while I playing hand ball at the Central 1 YMCA, Alfred Apaka died of a heart attack. Apaka was ready to invade the lush pastures of America's greatest singers of popuIar I songs - Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, I Perry Como, Vic Damone, Dick | Haymes and Tony Martin. Today, visitors and residents alike still remember the prolific talent and enduring charm of Alfred Apaka.

played on one gold watch was enough lesson for Tutu Aholo. By 12 he was a proficient 'ukulele player. Apaka was also sports-mind-ed, excelling at football, track and field. Surfing and swimming off Waikīkī Beach always rated high on his social agenda. But music became his passion. In 1940, Apaka the "Darling of Manhattan" joined the Ray Kinney Band at the Lexington Hotel in New York. 1941 he joined the Broadway musical revue "Hellzapoppin." He returned home in 1943 and became assistant bandleader for Don McDiarmid at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. He later formed his own band at the La Hula Rhumba, and also starred on the "Hawai'i Calls" radio show that was heard across the world, even behind the "Iron Curtain." In 1952, Bob Hope discovered the golden boy of blue Hawai'i at Don The Beachcomber's, and invited him to perform on three television and radio shows. and in HoDe's famous

Alfred Apaka.

This statue of legendary singer Aifred Apaka, stands in the lobby of the Tapa Tower of the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki.