Bill Tapia: The uke master

A party at a senior center in California reflects on the life and lessons of the revered "teacher of all strings"

By Lee Cataluna

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jan 22, 2012

~~<p>The cars parked outside had California plates and Hawaii bumper stickers. Many came wearing sweaters over aloha shirts and carrying ukulele cases.</p>
<p>It wasn't a memorial for ukulele master Bill Tapia. He told his closest friends he didn't want anything like that. "No flowers, no cards, no donations to a favorite charity," the invitation read. "Just a good-fun get-together."</p>
~~

The cars parked outside had California plates and Hawaii bumper stickers. Many came wearing sweaters over aloha shirts and carrying ukulele cases.

It wasn't a memorial for ukulele master Bill Tapia. He told his closest friends he didn't want anything like that. "No flowers, no cards, no donations to a favorite charity," the invitation read. "Just a good-fun get-together." Login for more...