Reading about Queen Lii`uokalani in ‘Todays Birthday’ brought back my early years. My mom and dad loved Hawaiian music and had a lot of Hawaiian music albums, their favorites were Alfred Apaka and Harry Owens. I think they went and saw Owens perform while they were stationed in Hawaii during the late 50’s. It seems like my dad would play Harry Owens’ “Sweet Leilani” about once a week, and every time I went to the “Dip” the owner would play it on the juke box and/or play it on the piano and sing it to me. They weren’t the only ones to sing that song to me either, whenever I meet someone new they share with me when and where they have heard my name before and anyone they know by the name, even at times breaking into the song. When I was a kid I would get so embarrassed :oops: but now that I’m older…I mean more mature, I really enjoy hearing the stories.

While I was reading about the Queen and then went and searched out the old singers it made me nostalgic for Hawaiian music, so I asked Randy to find me a song listening tool for my site, and he did! I just love :razz: my webmaster. You can listen to “Aloha Oe” and “Sweet Leilani” by ‘Harry Owens & His Royal Hawaiians’, just click on the buttons below, hope it brings back some good old “sweet” memories for you too!

Play Aloha ‘Oe

Play Sweet Leilani