[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 15, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S423]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING DANNY KALEIKINI

 Mr. SCHATZ. Mr. President, with the passing of Danny 
Kaleikini, Hawai'i has lost a legend. An incredibly talented musician 
and a wonderfully kind individual, Danny was a living embodiment of the 
aloha spirit, someone who represented the very best of Hawai'i.
  Danny grew up on O'ahu, one of eight kids in a two-bedroom house. He 
started selling newspapers at 6 years old and found an early passion 
for music, learning to sing and play the trumpet and drums. After high 
school, he pursued a career in music--and in 1967, at just 29 years 
old, landed a twice-a-night show at the Kahala Hilton.
  But Danny wasn't content just having a show. A savvy promoter, he 
would traverse Waikiki during the day, `ukulele player and hula dancer 
in tow, promoting that night's performance. And an astute businessman, 
he oversaw the managing, staging, and producing of it--becoming one of 
the first musicians to offer VHS tapes of shows.
  For nearly 30 years, Danny took the stage 6-to-7 nights a week, 
performing more than 10,000 times in Honolulu, as well as at Carnegie 
Hall in New York, Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and across Japan. He 
earned a Guinness book of records nomination, and a Lifetime 
Achievement Award from the Hawai'i Academy of Recording Arts. He even 
dabbled in acting, appearing in ``Hawai'i Five-O'' and in the 1970 
movie ``The Hawaiians,'' where he arrested Charlton Heston.
  But while his talent was undeniable, what set Danny apart was an 
unparalleled, infectious enthusiasm. Danny learned greetings in dozens 
of languages and enjoyed connecting with people from across the world. 
As another Hawai'i legend, comedian Andy Bumatai, once said, ``if 
aliens landed at the Hilton, Danny would greet them in their own 
language.''
  Danny lived a life of joy, generosity, and aloha. His voice, warmth, 
and spirit will be well remembered and greatly missed. My thoughts and 
deepest sympathies are with his family and all those who loved him.
  May he rest in peace and aloha. And may his spirit live on.

                          ____________________