Birth: Mar. 19, 1919 Honolulu Honolulu County Hawaii, USA Death: Jan. 30, 1960 Honolulu Honolulu County Hawaii, USA Musician. Known as 'The Golden Voice of Hawaii,' Apaka was considered one of the most influential performers in the history of Hawaii's popular music. He sang modern Hawaii music with joyful, baritone vocals and with highly entertaining performances. A native of Honolulu, Hawaii, Apaka grew up on music. His father Alfred A. Apaka, his Aunt Lydia Aholo (the daughter of Queen Lilioukalani) was a talented musician in her own right, and so would his son Jeff Apaka be later on. A graduate of the Roosevelt High School, he was a talented athlete, singer emcee, and a ROTC cadet captain. The family moved to Molokai, Hawaii, when Apaka was young, and then moved to Oahu, Hawaii. A member of the musical group, 'Alfred Apaka & His Hawaiians,' he got his first big break when he was given an opportunity by orchestra leader Don McDiarmid, to be his new lead singer for his group, 'Royal Hawaiians.' Apaka later went to New York, New York, and performed at the Hotel Lexington with Ray McKinney and his band. Apaka was also a featured singer on the program, "Hawaii Calls," and played regular gigs with the Moana Serenaders at the Moana Hotel. He also sang at Donn Beach's famous Don The Beachcomber restaurant, where by more good luck he was discovered by Bob Hope while he was performing during a luau. Apaka then went to Hollywood, California, and appeared on Bob Hope's radio and televison show. A featured singer at the Hawaiian Villages Tapa Room from 1955 to 1960, he was also known for his many albums on the Decca Record Label and the ABC Record Labels. In 1960, Apaka was making plans for a nationally broadcast television special, but on January 30 of that year, he suffered a fatal attack and died at the age of 40. The day of his passing became known as 'The Day Hawaii Cried.' Following his death he was given a highly publicized funeral, and he was even buried with a microphone. In 1999, an album of lost recordings recorded between 1945 and 1949 was released as, "Lost Recordings of Hawaii's Golden Voice." The album was awarded the prestigious Na Hoku Hanohano Award. Apaka who recorded over 6 albums, was also featured in the book, "The Golden Years Of Hawaiian Entertainment" (1974), by Tony Todaro, and the book was also dedicated to his memory. Some of Apaka's many recordings are, 'Aloha Oe,' 'Sleepy Lagoon,' 'I Will Remember You,' 'Hapa Haole Hula Girl (My Honolula Hula Girl),' 'Little Brown Gal,' 'Sleepy Lagoon,' 'Hawaiian Wedding Song (ke Kali Nei Au),' 'Far Across The Sea,' 'Forever (Lei Aloha, Lei Makame),' and 'Princess Poo-Poo Ly Has Plenty Papaya.' Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.