People and Groups Who Deserve the Lifetime Achievement Award

From 2007 onward HARA has been giving Lifetime Achievement Awards to people who were born in the 1950s as well as those from previous decades. Awardees born in the '50s include several members of the Society Of Seven (2007), to Roland Cazimero (2008), and Keola and Kapono Beamer (as members of Keola & Kapono Beamer) and to Dennis Kamakahi (as a member of the Sons of Hawai'i) in 2009.

With that as precedent, here is a list of 20 people and three groups that deserve fast-track approval for Lifetime Achievement Awards (Note: Not all of them were born in the '50s):

Leo Anderson Akana — Hoku Award-winning song writer

(The) Aliis — as part of "Don Ho & The..." (1964-1969) and then as a solo act

Kapono Beamer, as a solo artist — musician, song writer, recording artist, record producer

Keola Beamer, as a solo artist — musician, song writer, recording artist, record producer

Jon de Mello — record producer, record label CEO, record distributor

Don Ho & The Aliis — The biggest group in contemporary hapa-haole music (1964-1969)

Kawaikapuokalani Hewett — song writer, recording artist

Gaylord Holomalia, as a solo artist — musician, recording artist, record producer, studio engineer

Ron "Whodaguy" Jacobs — radio station disk jockey/station programmer, song writer

Henry Kapono Kaaihue, as a solo artist — musician, song writer, recording artist, record producer

Ledward Kaapana, as a solo artist — musician, recording artist, slack key virtuoso

Kimo Kahoano — radio disk jockey, showroom performer, recording artist

Dennis Kamakahi, as a solo artist — musician, song writer, recording artist, record producer

Kimo Alama Keaulana — musician, song writer, recording artist

Moe Keale, as a solo artist — musician, recording artist

Mike Kelly — radio station manager, record producer, record retailer (Records Hawaii)

(The) Lim Family — several memorable albums by this Big Island family

Aaron Mahi — musician, recording artist, former Royal Hawaiian Band bandmaster

Kenneth Makuakane — musician, song writer, recording artist, record producer

Cyril Pahinui — musician, recording artist, slack key virtuoso

DJ Pratt, as a solo artist — musician, recording artist, recording producer, studio engineer

Harry B. Soria Jr. — radio disk jockey, record producer, liner notes writer, Hawaiian music historian

Lea Uehara — record producer, record label president

Have others you'd like to see on the list? email jberger@staradvertiser.com