Fact #61040
When:
Short story:
Sam Koki And The Islanders record Ebb Tide and Paradise Isle for Decca Records in the USA. [Koki was a Hawaiian steel guitar player who moved the USA and recorded with Jimmie Rodgers, Louis Armstrong, Hank Williams and others.
Full article:
In the 1937 movie "Waikiki Wedding" starring Bing Crosby and Sheila Ross, four new Hawaiian songs were introduced, the two most important being 'Sweet Leilani" and 'Blue Hawai'i' being backed by Lani McIntire's Hawaiians with orchestrations by Sam Koki and steel guitar by Bob Nichols. These two recordings were sold around the world in unheard-of numbers. "Sweet Leilani" rose to number one on the U.S. popular radio charts and stayed in that position for 28 weeks, and world wide sales of the record rocketed to millions. Harry Owens, composer of 'Sweet Leilani' was awarded an Oscar for best movie song of the year. Thousands rushed to buy steel guitars and begin instruction. Both 'Blue Hawaii" and 'Sweet Leilani' have been recorded in excess of 100 times.
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