Popular Hawaiian crooner Don Ho, best known for his rendition of “Tiny Bubbles,” has passed away at the age of 76.
In a related story, a firestorm of complaints over language has resulted in three radio personalities being fired for reporting the death of a Ho.
PAD
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Careful you could be fired from your blog ^^
Don Ho was one of a very special variety of entertainers; people of very limited talent who did only one thing good, but who found their niche and wound up being criticism-proof. I don’t think he performed outside of Hawaii. I’m not even certain that he appeared in Hawaii Five-O to sing his only hit, and I had to dub all the episodes of that show. But still, he was on the to-do list of anyone who ever visited that blighted, overpriced hunk of rock.
In the same way Kate Smith was a belter with an innocent, almost childlike personality in public. She never married and her only songs were loud, plainly sung songs like “God Bless America.” She did it even into the 1970’s, and didn’t care that she was considered camp.
In the end of his life Red Buttons did only two things; sing “Strange Things Are Happening” and do variations on his terrible routine “And George Washington, who was afraid of termites getting his teeth, never got honored at a dinner…”
Guys like this passed beyond criticism. You could watch them or skip them, but they couldn’t be criticized; they just were. They became part of the environment. And frankly, I don’t think the current entertainment business can create any more such eternal one-note wonders…with the possible exception of Paul Reubens doing Pee-Wee Herman.
He certainly did any number of TV appearances, so his scope extended beyond Hawaii. I think he also worked Vegas.
PAD
Thomas– That class of entertainer has always facinated me. It’s a throwback to the vaudeville days when you could perfect an act and take it on the road and it would be years or decades before it got tired.
With youtube an act gets cold before most people evn know about so there isn’t much incentive to put that much craftsmanship into a routine.
Check out Mark Evanier’s essential blog (link nicely provided at the bottom of PAD’s blog). He often showscases clips of these folks, like the one who’s entired act was pulling objects out of his shirt or the guy who spent 10 minutes fighting with a microphone (and had you laughing the whole time). We won’t see their like again.
And, as Bill Mulligan said, the one whose entire act (the Banana Man in later times) was pulling things (like bananas) out of his outfit, was hysterically funny to this kid who watched Captain Kangaroo faithfully, just hoping the Banana Man would show up… Sigh. They don’t make ’em like that anymore…
Little surprised to hear about Don Ho’s passing but not Kurt Vonneguts on your site PAD. Funny joke though =)
I was up and watching the news when the story broke this morning. My first thought? I wondered how many was Beck, Rush and Savage will work his name into their programs on Monday and how for beat the joke into the ground.
Interesting performer. There was a period of several years when it seemed like Don Ho was on every TV special, especially holiday specials, that aired. And I seem to remember him on more then a few Network Christmas shows from when I was really young. Bill and Kathleen are right. There aren’t many (if any) up and coming entertainers like that anymore. Kind of sad really.
Don Ho lucked into a great bit of lazy TV shorthand–any time a character on a show would go to Hawaii they would almost inevitably show them at a Don Ho show. If Sanford and Son went to Hawaii you can be dámņ sure they would run into Don Ho at some point. It became ingrained into us that this was one of the things you almost HAD to do if you went to Hawaii.
That wasn’t the Mike who’s been discussing Kurt Vonnegut until now.
I hear the Don Ho outcry was based on someone calling him a Rutgers womens basketball player.
I for one long for the days where the simply labeling yourself a “shock jock” excused you from any pretense of civility.
Anyone now got Perfect Day by his daughter, Heid–I mean, Hoku–runnin’ through their heads now?
I have to wonder if one of the reasons you don’t see someone in that vein today is because today’s singers are molded to be more edgy? I mean, even the boy bands seem to (TRY TO) have an attitude lately. Could it be that they just don’t think the market would support that kind of artist?
“The famed Hawaiian ukelele player was on his way to his local barber for, what he said, was a much needed haircut when he passed unexpectedly. The still ‘nappy-headed’ Ho will be buried in a… HEY… WHO ARE YOU GUYS? GET OUT OF MY STUDIO, BEF… sssskkkkzzzzzzzzzzzzz…”