DON HO
The legendary Don Ho continues to be the most recognizable symbol of Hawaii and an entertainer whose popularity has exploded again in the last few years with new audiences joining longtime fans. His Summer 2002 coast-to-coast tour attracted sold-out crowds in California, Washington, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota and earned rave reviews in numerous publications including The Chicago Sun Times, Newark Star-Ledger and many others. The official Don Ho website www.donho.com offers details on Don's Waikiki Show, tour dates and other information.

Since 1994, The Don Ho Show has played in the Hoku Hale Showroom of The Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel with performances nightly Sunday through Thursday. The Show is heart-warming family entertainment with Mr. Tiny Bubbles himself and a cast of young Hawaii talent performing everything from familiar Hawaiian music to romantic ballads, country and pop. Ho's songs evolve into singalongs on such enduring hits as "Tiny Bubbles," "Pearly Shells," "I'll Remember You," and many others. During the Show, Ho honors all honeymooners and anniversary celebrants with the hauntingly beautiful lyrics of "The Hawaiian Wedding Song." in English and Hawaiian. Ho also makes a tribute to veterans as he remembers his own early days as an Air Force pilot in Texas.

When he returned home from his tour of duty, his father encouraged him to organize a few musicians to entertain at Honey's, his parent's tavern in Kaneohe, in an effort to attract more business. These humble almost accidental beginnings led to an opportunity in 1964 for Don Ho to play at Duke Kahanamoku's in Honolulu, where he attracted local and then national attention for his distinctive performance style. Since then his career has included the following locations: Flamingo Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, 1964-72; Polynesian Palace, Honolulu, 1970-81; Don Ho's, Waikiki, 1981-91; Hilton Hawaiian Village, Honolulu, 1992; Hula Hut, Honolulu, 1992-93; Outrigger's Polynesian Palace, Honolulu, 1992-1994.

Don Ho has appeared in dozens of TV shows including The Tom Jones Special, syndicated, 1971; The Bob Hope Show, NBC, 1972; Don Ho, "Hawaii Bound," The Brady Bunch, ABC, 1972; as host of The Don Ho Show, ABC, 1976-77; Celebration: The American Spirit, ABC, 1976; Perry Como's Hawaiian Holiday, NBC, 1976; CBS All-American Thanksgiving Day Parade, CBS, 1980; TV Nation: Year-in-Review, NBC, 1994; Conan O'Brien Show, 1995; and Live! Regis and Kathy, 1995.

Don Ho's recording career includes: Greatest Hits (compilation), Reprise, 1989; Hawaiian Favorites, Spectacular, 1994; Don Ho: Again, Reprise; Tiny Bubbles, Reprise; White Silver Sands, Reprise; East Coast/West Coast, Reprise; Suck 'em Up, Reprise, Don Ho TV Show, Reprise; Gold, Paradise; 20 Hawaiian Favorites, Total Recording; With All My Love, I Think About You, Christmas is for Everyone, And Hand in Hand; Don't Forget (with Hoku), 1998; and his latest single Shock the Monkey on the CD When Pigs Fly, May 2002, Hawaii's Greatest Hits August 2002.

In the last few years, he has appeared on the nationally televised Grand Ole Opry, on E! Entertainment, The Discovery Channel ("Home Matters"), The Travel Channel ("The Tourist"), The History Channel ("Great American History Quiz"), "Bay Area Backroads," and many others. He performed the National Anthem at Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and Houston Astro games on behalf of the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau, sang his greatest hits for a Hawaiian Airlines media party at Spago in Los Angeles, starred as himself in a TV commercial for Labatt which aired throughout Canada, and appeared in an inflight video for United Airlines worldwide. In 1999, he made promotional appearances in Memphis and Atlanta for Sprint and Northwest Airlines.

In 1996, Don Ho made his film debut in the Warner Brothers film, "Joe's Apartment." Ho is a cult hero to young people as shown by the steady stream of alternative musicians including Green Day, the Foo Fighters, No Doubt and dozens of others who come to Don's Waikiki show to get an autograph and chat with the legendary entertainer. The ultra-hip Maxim magazine named Don Ho as one of the "50 Coolest Guys Ever." Garage rock band The White Stripes count themselves among Don's new generation of fans reports guitarist Jack White in an Entertainment Weekly interview May 17, 2002.

In December 1998, Ho opened an exciting new restaurant, Don Ho's Island Grill, in Honolulu's Aloha Tower Marketplace that immediately became the city's most important stage for the rising stars of contemporary Hawaiian music. Don Ho's career continues to rise and with this reissue of his album Hawaii's Greatest Hits, a whole new legion of fans will discover his music---all over again!



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