The "Royal Hawaiins" (Harry Owens)

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 23 Feb 2008 2:23 pm

When I was taking lessons Back around 1941 thru 1943, one of the big influences for me was listening Saturday night on the radio to Harry Owens broadcasting from the St.Francis Hotel in San Francisco. Although the Steel Guitar was not always prominently featured it always added a great deal to the flavor of the big orchestra. In reading some of the internet history, it was stated that both Freddie and Ernie Traveras played steel at differen't times with the orchestra. I feel that during this era that Harry Owens did much to bring the attention of Hawaiian music to people on the Mainland. His song "Sweet Leillani" won the 1937 Acadamy Award from the movie "Wiakiki Wedding". For you Hawiian purists, where does Harry Ownens stand in the pecking order of Hawaiian Music. I never hear his name mentioned in any of the posts I have seen. (excuse some of my Hawiian spellings). Also I remember listening to "Hawaii Calls" Saturday morning being picked up from Short Wave broadcasts. Also during the period of the 30's and early 40's there were radio stations in Los Angeles that played nothing but Hawaiian music. Many of the recordings featured the Steel Guitar along with the Vibraphone (Vibes) which made a very pleasant combination.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 23 Feb 2008 2:44 pm

Billy,
Another Hawaiian song by Harry Owens is "To You Sweetheart Aloha".

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 23 Feb 2008 2:53 pm

Far from being a purist, but...,

Back in the 30's he was certainly the talk of the town, but after WW2 hit, everything was off the table until it was over. Then it all came back together in a different manner and style. By then, HO was no longer enthralled with the islands as before and left, never to return.

He get's some mention here on the forum, but it's the steelers that he employed that get the focus.

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 23 Feb 2008 5:59 pm

Billy, if you had lessons in 1941-43, you must be a geezer like me!

I had a few lessons around the end of THE WAR

I was playing at parties etc when I decided to take lessons. Not for long though, I hated using the A major tuning, and was using E major in my playing at the time

The name Harry Owens has always been familiar to me, even though I didn't know much about him.

Don Kona Woods · Post by **Don Kona Woods** » 24 Feb 2008 1:44 am

The big turning point in Harry Owen's career came in 1934 with his arrival in Hawaii and his appointment as music director of The Royal Hawaiian Hotel. He learned about the local culture by mixing and working with Hawaiians. He learned many traditional and more modern Hawaiian songs which he wrote down and orchestrated using Western notation for the first time.

Owens’ most celebrated steel players were the Tavares brothers, Ernest and Freddie, who joined the orchestra in 1936.

He organized the Royal Hawaiians by splitting the band into Hawaiian and haole instrumental sections. His band featured the steel guitar. Hilo Hattie was a featured performer with The Royal Hawaiian Hotel Orchestra.

Owens won an Oscar in 1937 for his compostion, "Sweet Leilani", sung by Bing Crosby in the film Waikiki Wedding. His song "Sweet Leilani" celebrated the birth of his daughter.

When in Hawaii, Owens brought over from Los Angeles dance bands Don McDiarmid and Lee Wood because of their technical skills. Owens wanted fast sight readers of music and the local Hawaiians did not have that ability.

McDiarmid and Wood composed, "It’s Just A Little Brown Gal In A Little Grass Skirt In A Little Grass Shack In Hawaii", but Harry Owens did not take to it immediately. After Ray Kinney made an excellent record to backing by Dick McIntire’s Harmony Hawaiians, he relented but gave it a new title, "Little Brown Gal".

In 1949, Owens started to appear regularly on television in Southern California over the CBS network. It ran for nine years. I used to watch his TV programs regularly. Eddie Bush played steel guitar player during this time and Hilo Hattie performed.

Harry Owens was a heavy promoter of the hapa haole style of Hawaii music (native music as interpreted by foreigners). Owens is credited with about 300 hapa haole songs, many of which remain popular today with Hawaiian steel guitarists.

Aloha,

Don

Don Kona Woods · Post by **Don Kona Woods** » 24 Feb 2008 2:18 am

Here is a video clip of Harry Owens with some nonauthentic hula dancing

:

But Harry Owens with authentic Eddie Bush on Steel Guitar

Aloha,

Don

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 24 Feb 2008 2:29 am

Thanx for putting that up, Don.

The singer in that clip was Prince Kawohi, sans moustache, and is still alive.

Mat Rhodes · Post by **Mat Rhodes** » 24 Feb 2008 8:11 am

Did Owens ever sing?

Del Bonn · Post by **Del Bonn** » 24 Feb 2008 9:01 am

Billy, it sounds as though we are a bunch of "old geezers" remembering the early 40's. A few days ago I ran across a little piece of scored paper on which I had written the melody and words to "To You, Sweetheart, Aloha." Of course I played it...still sounds sweet.
Makes me wonder...who is the eldest on-going steeler around? By on-going I mean one who began playing then and still does (arthritis permitting).-Del Bonn

PS: I started right after I graduated from high school in 1942. Now arthritis makes it difficult to hold the hollow steel...would like a larger one.

Del Bonn · Post by **Del Bonn** » 24 Feb 2008 9:13 am

Billy, I remember going to the Saturday afternoon "five-cent movie" to see a movie in which Bing Crosby sang "Sweet Lailani." It was said that producers did not favor the song, but Bing persisted. Was Dorothy Lamoor featured as the Hawaiian? Anyone know anything about the steel guitar player in that movie?
Any way, that was probably when I decided I would like to play one. Yeppers, started on a little Stella which wasn't much more than a guitar with raised string nuts...quickly moved on to the Gibson 7-string. I, too, used first the A major tuning, then the E7, and finally a combination of both on 10 strings. Convenient for straight bar chords, but no strumming except on base strings. Now I wonder if I dare try to convert to the popular C6/Am.

c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 24 Feb 2008 9:45 am

hy Ron. Was pleasantly surprised to read that the "Prince of Waikiki" is still alive. I thought he would have been shot by a jealous husband by now. I have videos of the old Regal Pale show in which he hulas and we use it to convince young hawaiian males in our group that a male can learn also. cc

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 24 Feb 2008 12:40 pm

Yes, I belong to the "Old Geezer Club". I will be 79 years old in May. I did have to quit playing in July of 2006. MY back went out from loading and unloading instruments over the years. Can't lift anything anymore. Also I have been dealing with eye problems (malcular degeneration) but it is getting better. I can't remember what exact year it was, but at the old Arragon Ballroom in Ocean Park, Ca. they booked in, at the same time, Alvino Rey and Harry Owens. Alvino's band was a full blown big band playing a lot of Jazz oriented music. The band was so loud it almost blew you out the front door. However when Harry Owens came on, most of the crowd gravitated to the front of the bandstand, really enjoying the softer sweeter Hawaiian music. About 1944 I started playing with some Bob Wiils type bands in the Los Angeles area gravitating to Western Swing music. However I never lost my love of Hawaiian music and would play some of the Hawaiian standards as often as I could.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 24 Feb 2008 12:51 pm

CC, those Regal Pale commercials are hillarious as the ad man get's tippsy towards the last one after sampling the product on camera thruout the show.

The Prince was indeed 'a man about town', eh? He sure did have the moves.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 24 Feb 2008 12:56 pm

Billy
Since, at age 60, I'm still an infant in regards to this topic... right, c.c. ?

... but I do fondly remember the Harry Owens show on TV in Los Angeles during the early 1950's with Hilo Hattie. I don't know who the steel player was because I didn't have steel consciousness in those days. Was it one of the Tavares Bros., or was it Eddie Bush?

Of course, I mostly dug Spade because his band was dressed like cowboys

.

Wasn't TV in Los Angeles great in those days?

Herb Steiner, Fairfax HS class of '65.

Joe Law · Post by **Joe Law** » 24 Feb 2008 1:10 pm

Let me add my two cents to this conversation since no one has mentioned the Harry Owens tune that took a lot of quarters on the juke box here in Georgia in the 45-46 era, and that was my first exposure to "Coconut Grove". It sure was a hot dance tune around here.

Ron Simpson · Post by **Ron Simpson** » 24 Feb 2008 1:18 pm

The last I heard, Prince was doing some work with Duke Ching in California. That was a few years ago though.

c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 24 Feb 2008 1:31 pm

Harry and I met just before the bombs hit Pearl. I was eleven and through the yrs we corresponded off and on. When I was stationed at the Presidio of SF I would go to the Saint Francis and see Harry and the gang. Great man. Although he never said so I believe he thought more of Eddy Bush and Ernie Tavares among his steel men.cc good gosh Herb my youngest son was born june65.

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 24 Feb 2008 3:53 pm

Hey Don, that was nice. Thanks for posting it.

Don Kona Woods · Post by **Don Kona Woods** » 24 Feb 2008 5:52 pm

The singer in that clip was Prince Kawohi, sans moustache, and is still alive.

Ron, Prince Kawohi was in Honolulu about 4 years ago visiting his family but he came to one of our HSGA activities. I recognized him immediately because I had watched the TV show so much. I chatted with him for a while and he said that he now lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Prince Kawohi is his stage name, but I cannot remember his Hawaiian name. Sorry!

Did Owens ever sing?

Only in the bathtub, but never on the airwaves!!!

Aloha,

Don

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 24 Feb 2008 8:52 pm

Don wrote: "Only in the bathtub, but never on the airwaves!!!"

Hey Don...a slight change in the subject, however, since you mentioned the 'bathtub', have you folks had the fun of playing "SINGING IN THE BATHTUB" on a tricone...crazy tune which has been around for ages. Personally, I love it !

Harry Owens and I corresponded in the latter years of his life and he sent me an autographed copy of his book, "Sweet Leilani". I think it was the year 1971 when I met Clara Inter, ("Hilo Hattie") and I have a pic of her planting a kiss on me ! She was a
great gal on stage.

Oh yah, I'm an old geezer also....80 in two weeks !

c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 25 Feb 2008 2:41 am

happy bd Keoki. I was 79 Jan 25 so I guess you outrank me by almost a yr. I will most certainly show more respect in the future. CC

The Steel Guitar Forum

The "Royal Hawaiins" (Harry Owens)

The "Royal Hawaiins" (Harry Owens)

Harry Owens Hawaiian music

Harry Owens song "Sweet Leilani"

Yes, I'm one of the "old geezers)