His ukulele version of 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' became a quiet anthem heard around the world.
For the full picture, listen to 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' and then something like 'Henehene Ko Aka.' The contrast says more than any bio could.
That 'Facing Future' album from 1990 gave us his version of 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow,' which ended up in films and TV shows for years after his death. He also recorded 'White Sandy Beach of Hawaii' and 'Hawaiʻi 78,' songs that felt like home to many. Some radio stations wouldn't play his music because it touched on Hawaiian sovereignty, which tells you something about what he was putting out there.
He was born in Honolulu in 1959 and started recording in the late 80s. By the time he died in 1997 at 38, that 'Facing Future' album had already made its mark. His songs kept appearing in movies and shows long after, keeping his voice in the air.
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
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