PRESS RELEASE for immediate use

(Tuesday, April 15, 2008: Honolulu)

On Friday May 30, 2008 at 7.30pm in the Monarch Room of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Waikiki will celebrate the longevity and legend of Bill Tapia who, at 100, is the world's oldest professional ukulele performer.  Tapia turned 100 at the turn of this year, and shares his good fortune with his devoted O’ahu fans and with visitors to Waikiki, with a special concert also featuring award-winning Hawaiian musicians Makana, Mihana, Jeff Peterson and Owana Salazar.

Tapia has been delighting audiences with jazz chops and sharp wit both intact over the last decade. He left school at 12 years old and initially worked in vaudeville – he’s been working ever since. Tapia is the only musician on the planet who can say these words: "Here's a song I performed in World War I…" when he’s introducing the unique version of "Stars and Stripes Forever" he came up with in 1918 at the age of 10.

Tapia's youth was spent performing and jamming with the top names of the day, including Charlie Barnet, Billy Holiday, Fats Waller, Bing Crosby and many more. While in Hawai'i he led his own big band and also worked with Island luminaries like Sol Hoopi'i and Johnny Noble. After World War II, Tapia and family settled in the San Francisco area, where he also offered guitar teaching. Now "Tappy" has a home in the islands too – just last year he bought a condo in Makaha so he could spend more time here in Hawaii.

Tapia performed with Johnny Noble and his band for the grand opening of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in 1927.  In attendance were all the Island notables; Princess Kawananakoa, the Castle brothers, the Dillingham family, Francis Brown, Robert Shingle and many others.  Then in 1933, he was hired as the exclusive Royal Hawaiian chauffeur.  He drove a Twin Six Packard - gold, and trimmed with blue - for the dignitaries that stayed at the Royal from 1933 to 1935.

Bill was invited back to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Royal, and again last year on their 80th anniversary to perform for the Royal staff and their guests. However this is the first time he has ever presented a full evening concert for the general public at the Monarch Room, headlining with his ukulele.

Royal Hawaiian General Manager Jon Gersonde is delighted to host Bill Tapia in this unique concert, to help send off The Royal Hawaiian in stylish glamour before it closes for restoration on June 1, 2008.  The hotel will reopen as Hawai'i's premier destination for romance and refined island luxury in December 2008, with a Grand Re-Opening Gala planned tentatively for February 2009.

For more information contact Tim Bostock at 521-9699 or tbp@artsatmarks.com, to arrange phone interviews with Bill Tapia, or live interviews in week of show from May 26. Excellent new photos available.

* IN THE PRESS: Rave reviews and tour coverage.

"As delightful as it is surprising... Tapia's 86-year career includes jams with long-gone pioneers of American music, including Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday and Fats Waller. ...Tapia takes his rightful place alongside these greats. He retains a sharp improvisational skill and capable instrumental ability..." BILLBOARD MAGAZINE

"At 97, Tapia may well be the world's oldest performing musician. His career includes stints with Bing Crosby and with tenor saxophone greats Vido Musso and Charlie Barnet. He pioneered the Hawaiian swing sound back in 1936..." SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS

" ... musical treasures that document Tapia's importance as an innovator and pioneer in establishing the ukulele.. " HONOLULU STAR-BULLETIN

" you might (and boy, you'd be wrong) dismiss this as a novelty, considering his age. But Tapia is a master communicator with precision and his own brand of pizzazz." HONOLULU ADVERTISER

* AT RETAIL: "Duke of Uke" reached #4 on the Amazon.com Early Adopter Indie chart. In-stores at Tower and Borders, with over 250 attending and 70 CDs sold at Borders Sacramento.

* ON RADIO: On over 120 stations- "Duke of Uke" reached #10* on the CMJ Jazz chart.

* ON TV: Performed live on K-Five TV Honolulu for the Hoku awards June 3rd.Featured on Huell Houser's California Gold this July on KCET-28 Los Angeles PBS TV.

* ON FILM: TO YOU SWEETHEART, ALOHA documentary getting festival awards and great press.

Download press releases:
• Bill Tapia 100th Birthday Concert Jan '08 (92k .pdf)
• Duke of Uke Jan '05 (132k .pdf)

To You Sweetheart, Aloha
Award-winning PBS documentary
about Bill Tapia

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To buy Bill's albums