Herschel Laib Hohenstein was born in Brooklyn, New York on April 14, 1917. After several name changes and great success as a radio announcer on Honolulu airwaves, Hal Lewis passed away at the age of 66 on July 21, 1983.
In 1946, just after the end of WWII, Hal Lewis was an out-of-work violinist in San Francisco. He took a violinist gig on the S.S. Matsonia to Hawaii.
In Honolulu, he took a staff announcer job at KGMB, but was fired after only 2 months for insubordination.
After writing prose for the ILWU, and jokes for Hilo Hattie, he got the morning DJ slot at KPOA radio.
Once Aku’s Yiddish humor was unleashed, Honolulu airwaves would never be the same again.
Today, we’ll hear a rare set of 78rpm records that he made in the early 1950s on his own Aku Records label, some featuring Alfred Apaka & the Moana Serenaders.
This week's playlist:
1- Princess Pupule – Aku w/ Alfred Apaka & Moana Serenaders
2- Czardas – J. Akuhead Pupule: violin solo
3- Lola O’Brien, the Irish Hawaiian – Aku w/ Alfred Apaka
4- Always/ Tea For Two – J. Akuhead Pupule
5- Beyond The Reef – Alfred Apaka w/ J Akuhead Pupule
6- My Little Buckaroo – J. Akuhead Pupule
7- Jalousie – J. Akuhead Pupule: violin solo
8- Kealoha – Alfred Apaka & Moana Serenaders
9- Across The Sea – Alfred Apaka & Moana Serenaders
10- I Will Remember You – Alfred Apaka w/ Aku
Length: 54:56 Released on: 09-25-2015 Artist/Compiled by: Hal Lewis aka: J. Akuhead Pupule
