Died On This Date (April 14, 2007) Don Ho / World Renowned Hawaiian Musician
themusicsover Don Ho
August 13, 1930 – April 14, 2007
Don Ho was a popular Hawaiian musician whose middle-of-the-road stylings earned him several top-selling albums and numerous television appearances. When one thought of Hawaii in the late ’60s and ’70s, they no doubt envied the lifestyle as portrayed by Do Ho. He quickly became a live hit in Las Vegas, Reno, Los Angeles and New York, but it wasn’t until the release of “Tiny Bubbles” in 1966, that Ho reached International fame, landing him on the Billboard Album Charts where he stayed for nearly a year. The television parts began rolling in . Ho, usually appearing as himself, was featured in The Brady Bunch, The Fall Guy, Batman, I Dream Of Jeannie, and Charlie’s Angels. He also had his own ABC-TV show called The Do Ho Show. It premiered in October of 1976 but lasted only five months. His later years found him starting Honey Records, the home of his recordings as well as those by fellow Islanders. He made a few more television appearances and did regular performances at his own Hawaiian club, Hoku. Do Ho passed away from heart failure on April 14, 2007 at the age of 77.
What You Should Own
Perhaps best known as the narrator and voice of the snowman in the Holiday classic, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Burl Ives was also an accomplished folks singer whose catalog includes many American standards. He was also an author and Academy Award-winning actor for his supporting role in Our Man In Havana. When Ives was in his second year of college, he had an epiphany while sitting in his English glass. School was a waste of his time, he thought, so out the door he went, never to look back. Except perhaps, when that same school named a building after him some six decades later. Ives spent most of the ’30s traveling around the U.S. performing for change whenever he needed funds to move on. In the ’40s he went to work for CBS Radio who gave him his own program where he performed traditional folk songs for his loyal fans. From there he moved on to acting, winning roles in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, East of Eden and of course, Our Man in Havana. In the ’50s he got blacklisted for alleged Communist ties, so he falsely ratted out 
Tom Payne was the original bassist for Los Angeles based garage rock band, the Leonards. Originally from the Detroit area, Payne and the band migrated to L.A. in the late 80s to try to get noticed. However, with a sound closer to the Replacements than Ratt, the group struggled to get noticed along the Sunset Strip. But they persevered, building a loyal fan base that they can still count on to this day. In 2004, Tom Payne discovered he had cancer, so he left the band and moved back to Michigan to be with his family. He died as a result of the cancer on April 14, 2005
Thurston Harris was an American R&B singer who fronted the South Central Los Angeles vocal group, the Lamplighters in the early ’50s. He later became what many call a “one-hit wonder”, but what a hit it was! His recording of “Little Bitty Pretty One” shot to #6 on the American pop charts and is considered to this day one of the most popular records of the era. Listen to it below; you’ll likely recognize it from a film or television program. Harris scored a couple other minor hits at the end of the ’50s, “Do What You Did,” and “Runk Bunk.” He passed away of a heart attack in 1990 at the age of 58.
Jim Price was a much respected twenty-year veteran of the music retail industry. He started his career as a store director for the legendary Peaches chain in Ft Lauderdale, FL. Most recently he was the Director of Purchasing for the Alliance Entertainment Corporation, or AEC where he was considered a mentor to his co-workers. Cause of death was not immediately released.