HONOLULU — Hawaiian musician and entertainer Danny Kaleikini has died at 85, according to our partner the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Born in 1937, Kaleikini was one of eight children. He grew up in Papakolea on Oahu.
He began his career at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, but was best known for his residency at the Kahala Hilton where he started performing in 1967 and stayed on until 1994.
In the 1970s he started performing in Las Vegas. His first year he opened for Paul Anka at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.
He also appeared in the 1970 movie “The Hawaiians” as the captain for the Royal Hawaiian Guard, arresting Charleston Heston’s character Whipple Hoxworth.
He was declared the “Ambassador of Aloha” by Gov. John Waihee in 1988.
“Oh, I’m very honored to just to share this aloha, not only here, but around the world, no matter where I go. I can honestly say, I’ve seen the world, and because of music and I thank Akua, I thank God. But I go with aloha’s kekahi i kekahi, the breath of life, that we share with one another,” said Kaleikini during an episode of PBS’s Long Story Short with Leslie Wilcox in 2010. “All I’m saying is that, to all of our great leaders, we educate everybody on that five-letter magic word, A-L-O-H-A, aloha, ‘cause it’s so important. Especially the young people. They’re the future, they’re the stars of tomorrow.”
The Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame honored Kaleikini in 2016.
U.S. Senator Brian Schatz released a statement on the death of Kaleikini, saying: "I join Hawaii in mourning the loss of a legend across the islands and beyond our shores. Danny was an extraordinarily talented, charismatic, joyful, and fearless performer who energized any stage he stepped on and warmed any heart he touched. He was the kind of person who made everyone who he interacted with feel special. He was a living embodiment of the aloha spirit, and we are all deeply sorrowful for this loss. I will miss his voice, his personal warmth, and his friendship. May he rest in peace and aloha.”
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi also issued a statment: “Danny was a very special friend to me starting in the early 1970s, when I was a young football coach at the University of Hawaii, but that is who Danny was to so many — a very special friend! He was loved and respected by everyone who knew him. To me, he was the embodiment of the very essence of everything that is so very special about Hawaii. He was truly a treasure, to Hawaii and to the world.”
“I am saddened and completely lost for words at the passing of Danny Kaleikini,” said Senate Vice President Michelle Kidani in a statement. “Not only was he my good friend, but he was an amazing ambassador of Hawaii who truly embodied the aloha spirit. From attending many of his performances at the old Kahala Hilton to watching him serenade the Senate chamber on opening day in 2015, Danny’s memory and legacy will forever live on through the thousands of people that he met over the course of his legendary career. My thoughts and prayers are with the entire Kaleikini ʻohana during this difficult time. Hawaiʻi has lost a favorite son.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii.