Haleloke Very Rare Early One of a Kind Photo 50s Hawaiian Singer Jackie Gleason

Description

Here is a very rare very early vintage one of a kind candid photo of Hawaiian singer Haleloke Kahauolopua (1923 – 2004), from her prime in the 1950w. She was sometimes billed under just her first name, Haleloke. Kahauolopua was born on February 2, 1923, in Hilo, Hawaii, into a musical family, her mother being active in Hilo music circles. She sang in glee clubs in high school but her studies at the University of Hawaii were cut short by World War II.
Kahauolopua was a featured vocalist on the radio show Hawaii Calls, hosted by Webley Edwards, from 1945 to 1950. Kahauolopua then came to the attention of Arthur Godfrey who brought her to New York, where she appeared frequently on his shows, dancing the hula as well as singing, and in a number of Hawaiian extravaganzas staged by Godfrey. In contrast to the typical Hawaiian "ha'i" (falsetto) voice use by many Hawaiian singers of the time, Kahauolopua sang in a husky alto. Kahauolopua cut a number of records, usually accompanied by Godfrey and his ukulele and the Archie Bleyer Orchestra, and sometimes by The Mariners vocal group. She was the only Hawaiian musician on her album Hawaiian Blossoms. Godfrey became infamous for peremptorily firing employees, such as Julius LaRosa, fired on the air, and in April 1955 he fired Kahauolopua (along with Marion Marlowe, The Mariners, and three writers). This occasioned some criticism in the press.
Kahauolopua then retired from show business at a fairly young age, to the small rural town of Union City, Indiana to live with her friends the Paul Keck family. She died in her adopted town on December 16, 2004. Very rare.
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Filmography:
1954Motorama of 1954 (TV Special)
Self
1953The Ed Sullivan Show (TV Series)
Self
- Episode #6.40 (1953) ... Self
1953The Jackie Gleason Show (TV Series)
Self
- Humphrey Bogart, Charles Boyer, Jimmy Durante, Charles Laughton, Peter Lorre, The McGuire Sisters (1953) ... Self
1952-1953Arthur Godfrey Time (TV Series)
Self
- Episode dated 9 February 1953 (1953) ... Self
- Episode dated 29 January 1953 (1953) ... Self
- Episode dated 28 January 1953 (1953) ... Self
- Episode dated 26 January 1953 (1953) ... Self
- Episode dated 2 January 1953 (1953) ... Self
Show all 15 episodes
1950-1953Arthur Godfrey and His Friends (TV Series)
Self - Singer / Self
- Episode dated 28 January 1953 (1953) ... Self - Singer
- Episode dated 31 December 1952 (1952) ... Self - Singer
- Episode dated 24 September 1952 (1952) ... Self - Singer
- Episode dated 17 September 1952 (1952) ... Self - Singer
- Episode dated 13 March 1952 (1952) ... Self - Singer
Show all 13 episodes