I wrote about the groundbreaking radio show “Hawaii Calls” two weeks ago. Several readers have asked about auburn-haired entertainer Arthur Godfrey (1903-1983). Was he ever on the show?
Yes, he was. Several times. Godfrey had some interesting connections to Hawaii, and I’ll look at them this week. Hawaii embraced him and in return he embraced us.
Arthur Godfrey was a popular American entertainer in the 1950s and 1960s. His Hawaii story starts with the ukulele.
The ukulele developed out of a four-string instrument early Portuguese immigrants brought from the Madeira Islands to Hawaii.
Hawaiians called it an ukulele, which means “jumping flea,” possibly for how quickly a player’s fingers moved.
The ukulele was introduced to the world at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco in 1915. The Hawaii exhibit was well received, and America began a love affair with the ukulele and Hawaiian music. By 1916, Hawaiian records were the top-selling genre in the U.S.
Arthur Godfrey learned to play the ukulele in the early 1920s when a Hawaiian Navy shipmate of his gave him some lessons.
Ukulele sales dropped during the Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II.
The Willows
Godfrey came to Hawaii during World War II as a Navy correspondent and was stranded here temporarily, waiting to get a flight out.
He spent a lot of time at the Willows restaurant, where he met Kathleen Perry, who owned the Hauston Street spot with her husband, Al Kealoha Perry, who was musical director of “Hawaii Calls.”
Godfrey found himself playing ukulele with the Willows’ band. “Those great people took me in, didn’t know who I was and didn’t care,” Godfrey said. “I learned then to take things easy, enjoy the good things and share them with others. … I call this the aloha spirit.
“I went back full of love for this place and couldn’t get it out of my system.”
After World War II his “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts” TV show became a huge hit. Tony Bennett, Patsy Cline, Pat Boone and many others were “discovered” on the show.
Between acts, Godfrey, wearing an aloha shirt, would play a song on the ukulele or teach viewers to play it.
Neil Young said he became interested in music at age 7 when his father gave him an Arthur Godfrey ukulele.
Godfrey felt the ukulele was more than a musical instrument. “If a kid has a uke in his hands, he is not going to get into much trouble.”
In 1950 the famed columnist Walter Winchell said that thanks to Arthur Godfrey, ukulele sales in the U.S. were six times what they had been in 1942. Over 2 million ukuleles were sold in the U.S. that year. The industry was booming.
Duke Kahanamoku
Another island connection was with Duke Kaha- namoku. He and Godfrey first met in 1944 at the old Outrigger Club when Godfrey was a war correspondent.
Godfrey said Duke “appeared every bit the legendary hero, looking even taller than his 6 feet, with his hair already graying.”
“You knew he was a champion as soon as you shook hands with him. But with all his strength, he was as gentle as a baby. He was unassuming, reticent, almost shy.” His heart was “full of love and compassion for all people everywhere.”
Godfrey and Kahanamoku became close friends. The two worked with Kimo Wilder McVay and Robert Hoffman to create the Waikiki restaurant and supper club known as Duke Kahanamoku’s.
They also set about to create an international swim meet and the Duke Kahanamoku Boys Club to encourage and aid local boys interested in sports, tourism and entertainment.
They made a promise to each other that whoever lived longer would attend the other’s funeral. In 1968 Godfrey delivered the eulogy at Duke’s funeral.
Haleloke Kahauolopua
A regular on “Hawaii Calls” during the war years and beyond was a Hilo native named Haleloke Kahauolopua. Godfrey heard the contralto sing and invited her to be on his TV show for a three-week period. She proved popular with viewers and stayed 3-1/2 years.
Haleloke said she got a lot of fan mail. Viewers wanted to ask her about Hawaii — “what they can do here, what clothes to wear, what hotels to patronize, and what places to see.”
1959 visit
Godfrey arrived in the islands to do 12 shows in March 1959. Over 500 greeted him at the airport. Hilo-born Haleloke was by his side.
Godfrey pulled out an ukulele and led beachboys Duke Kahanamoku, Chick Daniels and Splash Lyons in an impromptu song.
He was delighted with the news that Hawaii had won statehood, saying he’d been screaming about it for years.
Then it was off to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel where they would be recording 12 half-hour shows over the following two weeks. Emma Veary and Mahi Beamer were two of his planned guests.
‘Arthur Godfrey Week’
In July 1964 the state proclaimed “Arthur Godfrey Week” in the islands. Gov. John Burns greeted the arriving entertainer and named the roadway in front of the airport Arthur Godfrey Circle. (The expanding airport covered that road later.)
The proclamation took note of Godfrey’s interest in aviation and of the “mutual love affair” between Godfrey and Hawaii.
A motorcade of cars then sped from the airport, through the downtown area and to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, where about 75 people greeted Godfrey with applause and “Aloha!”
Later in the afternoon, Godfrey, looking relaxed in his aloha shirt, put in a short appearance at “Hawaii Calls.”
“Aloha!” Godfrey said, beaming.
“Aloha!” the audience roared back.
Reminiscing a bit, Godfrey recalled when he first began to talk about the islands on his radio show two decades earlier.
“It’s the same way now as it was then,” he said as he looked out over Waikiki Beach, “only there’s a younger bunch enjoying it.”
A “Salute to Arthur Godfrey” was held at the Waikiki Shell. Hilo Hattie, Danny Kaleikini, Lucky Luck, Napua Stevens, Genoa Keawe, Gabby Pahinui, Eddie Kamae and many others came to entertain the crowd of 4,000, with all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.
Burns presented Godfrey with the Order of the Splintered Paddle for his 20 years of promoting the islands as well as for his fight against cancer.
“Lovely Hula Hands” composer R. Alex Anderson presented him with an ukulele, inscribed “To Hawaii’s Favorite Beachboy — from the people of Hawaii.”
Godfrey, wearing a green aloha shirt, spoke to the crowd at intermission. “All I have done for the past 20 years was to repay that which was given to me by a young kanaka shipmate back in the 1920s, who taught me to play the ukulele. This strong love for Hawaii began way back then.”
Bob Sigall is the author of the five “The Companies We Keep” books, full of stories from this column. Email him at Sigall@Yahoo.com.
