Don Ho has left the building.
Ua hala `o ia i ke ala ho`i `ole. He has gone on the road of no return.
But he will never be forgotten, and there will never be another Don Ho.
Don was one of a kind.
Many tried to imitate his casual manner and presentation, some even trying to sound like him. The jokes about his slow, easy going style were as many as he had friends. Few, if any, were vicious in poking fun at Don, the laid-back chairman of the board. Most admired him; and those who knew him, loved him dearly. He was a ladies' man, and a man's man. A football star, a pilot, a veteran, a musician, a singer, an entertainer par excellance.
He helped hundreds of fellow entertainers and supported everyone who came in contact with him. He was kind and generous.
And he was recognized and rewarded for many of these virtues. He was known the world over. He was Mr. Waikiki to millions.
On April 14, we were alerted to Don's death by email from fellow entertainer Ken Makuakane, just a few hours after Don had died. He suffered a heart attack at the age of 76. We spent much of that afternoon and the next few days exchanging emails and phone calls with friends, most of whom had very interesting personal stories to tell.
We won't repeat the dozens of great news stories and photos from The Honolulu Advertiser and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, or the many wonderful memories that have been shared by thousands of fans and friends of Don Ho. But we do want to share some of our own memories and the thoughts from one fellow professional, who worked with Don on one of his major recordings. It was 1978 and we (K&C) were in the Sounds of Hawai`i studio recording our first album. Don was also in Sounds of Hawai`i, recording a major collection, a double album. His engineer was Audy Kimura. A few hours after learning of Don's passing, Audy wrote:
"This really took the wind out of my sails for a lot of reasons. When I met him in 1978, long before I had any aspirations of becoming a composer/recording artist, Don treated me like a son when I was his recording engineer at Sounds of Hawaii."
"Although I was a rookie, he and his producer Bob Morgan told Herb Ono they wanted me to engineer because of my 'ears' and being a musician. It was my first project on my own and I was scared stiff!"
"We recorded from 10 am to 4 pm every day, then returned at night, 1:30 am to 5:00 am sometimes to do vocals. We'd always sit after recording, have a meal or snack and just talk. Just Don, Bob Morgan who was the producer and myself, a 24 year old engineer. He mentored me, gave me advice, at times asked my advice about things and just shared life. We remained close ever since."
"When you do a double album together, it's a lot of time spent I guess and never once did we have a tense or unpleasant moment."
"Even though I was a young, rookie engineer and no one knew who I was, he was incredibly kind and fatherly towards me. We kept in touch ever since."
"It's such a sad day in my life...but I'm happy for the time we spent together over the years. I'll treasure my copy of the album I recorded for him 30 years ago." -- Audy Kimura 
Audy Kimura, Don's friend
Singer/songwriter, producer Audy Kimura has been performing at Hy's Steak House for more than 20 years. For the past 30 years he has maintained a friendship with Don, who treated him like a son.
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I met Don in the early 1960s, when I went to a post-election lu`au held to say thanks to union members who had helped campaign for Mayor Neil Blaisdell. Don was called up to sing and his rendition of "Kaulana Na Pua" gave me chickenskin. I was a guest of Elmo Samson, bossman for the Construction and General Laborers & Hod Carriers, Local 368, and Elmo introduced me to Don, telling Don that I was also an entertainer. We had only a few minutes to talk, but I must admit it was exciting to meet Don and I liked him from that very moment. I went back home to Japan, singing praises of Don Ho ... and inspired.
After we moved from Maui to Honolulu in 1970, we would take visiting friends to see Don's show, or we would occasionally go with others who were close to Don -- Ken & Barbara Spencer, Earl & Peg Collins, and others. Don told us not to pay for ourselves. "Just leave your phone number," he said. "If I need your help, I'll call you."
After the show, Don would introduce us to others in the cast.
We remember when he introduced us to the young Dela Cruz Brothers, up and coming stars in his show. Then he told them to go to see our show at the Blue Dolphin Room. "Keith, call them up to sing a couple of songs. Then tell everyone to come to see the Don Ho Show." And he smiled. He was a businessman too.
We always admired Don as the "general" in charge on his stage (or any stage) regardless of whom was in the spotlight or at the microphone. He was the boss. He was running the show. He never lost control.
At the Hilton Hawaiian Village Dome, Don used to invite us to his dressing room to meet our friends, and they were not only impressed to receive that special treatment, but all went away impressed with Don. It was a Don Ho thing, after every show. He was the pro, and handled that PR job like it was the best part of his day -- even when he was tired and ready to turn in.
recall his spending a lot of time talking "military" with Joe Hems, the National Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart on one visit. They sounded like they had been together in a war.
Don paid special attention to the National Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. Front row, l. to r., Peg and Earl Collins, aide to the commander; Harriet and Joe Hems, National Commander of the organization that represents all American servicemen who had been wounded and received the Purple Heart from a grateful nation. With Don in the back row are your Ke Mele columnists.
On another occasion, he insisted that we bring Myron Sele, senior captain at Air Wisconsin and an ex-Army pilot like Don, to his dressing room for some "pilot talk." You'd think they had been buddies forever.
Pilot talk: Don enjoyed some 'pilot talk' with Myron & Jan Sele, who were visiting from Wisconsin.
It was also fun to be a part of his show.
We were in Don's audience in 1986 with a group of friends -- visitors from the Mainland -- when Don called for all the grandmas to come onto the stage. We had become grandparents a few years earlier and our friends encouraged Carmen to go on stage. She did.
Don recognized her, and told her to stand aside while he talked with (and kissed) all the other, mostly much older grandmothers. Then he questioned whether Carmen was really a grandmother (she was), introduced her to the audience and asked her to dance for him.
Don recognized, then imposed on this young grandma to dance for him. That's Carmen and Don in 1986 at the Hilton Dome.
Some years later, when Don called Carmen up to sing "The Hawaiian Wedding Song" with him, she confided that she had never sung the English lyrics, but with the help of Don's teleprompter, the two rendered an unforgettable performance of that famous song in a medley with "Ke Kali Nei Au," from which the wedding song melody was borrowed.
Carmen and Don sing "The Hawaiian Wedding Song" (and "Ke Kali Nei Au.")
After looking through our archives, we found one more photo that we'd like very much to share with our readers. This was about 1975, and two old friends -- Don Ho, already an old pro and the biggest name entertainer in Waikiki, congratulating and giving advice to your columnist on entertaining visitors in Waikiki. Keith had only been entertaining in Waikiki since 1972. That's Jack Lord in the background.
Keith & Don -- circa 1975
During our 17 years at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel's Mai Tai Bar, Don would occasionally stroll by on the beach -- very incognito in a windbreaker, shorts, cap and sun glasses. He would stop, listen to a song or two, watch a hula, and with a smile, a nod of his head or a little wave, he would stroll on down the beach. He enjoyed the anonymity and we never told our audience that the most famous Hawaiian in the world was right there on the beach, right behind them.
In more recent years, we felt a great sense of pride as Don closed his shows with patriotic songs. His audience loved his patriotism too, and he gave as much aloha to the military in his audience as he had done for the grandmas for decades.
We were always aware of what he had done for so many performers, from beginners and those he took into his show to groom, to those already professionals in the business. Many never knew that side of Don Ho.
Some are already asking, "Who will replace Don Ho?"
In our humble opinion, no one will "replace" Don. Just like no one can ever replace Duke Kahanamoku or Kamehameha Nui. They were all three "one of a kind" Hawaiians, and irreplaceable.
Don's Show could continue, with his name used to sell the show, but it will never be the same. Such a show could include some songs that have been recorded by Don Ho, but it can't be the same as we've come to know and love over the past four decades. And it should not be.
The show could feature another Hawaiian of stature, but not one of the many who try to imitate Don's singing or who mumble a cheap imitation of Don's patter or jokes and one liners. That just won't work.
With more than 45 years in the music business and 35 years performing in Waikiki, we can't think of many who can fill that void.
Willie K is one who comes to mind.
If you've seen Willie K perform live in concerts, solo or as one half of the Barefoot Natives, you know what I mean. His show is not at all like Don's but it could fill a showroom, and Willie K would send millions of visitors and residents away ... entertained and thrilled ... just as Don has always done. Willie K is the only performer we can think of who could pick up the ball and run with it.
"The Don Ho Showroom Presents Willie K" could work.
Willie K. ... Hawai`i's next superstar?
