Gabby Pahinui

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Charles Philip (Gabby) Pahinui was born in Honolulu in 1921. Hailed as "the folk hero of the Hawaiian music world," Gabby spent over 40 years playing in cafes, restaurants and nightclubs. Later, he spent another ten years focusing on studio albums and concerts. His long career created a large and extremely loyal following who regarded him as the quintessential Hawaiian musician and a revered representative of the Hawaiian people and culture.

Gabby's club circuit spanned almost 40 years during which he played with almost every important local musician -- Eddie Spencer, Andy Cummings, Tommy Carter, Joe Kaimi, George Kainapau, Gigi Royce, Alvin Isaacs, Eddie Kamae, David Nale, Fred Punahoa, and Abraham Maenwa. During the 1940s and '50s, Gabby spent a long time playing with Andy Cummings and his Hawaiian Serenaders. In the mid-sixties he began to concentrate on recording albums and concerts. In 1959, he joined Eddie Kamae in founding the highly influential group, The Sons of Hawai'i and continued to pursue solo slack-key guitar recordings. The Sons then recorded two great albums in the '60s.

In 1980, Gabby died at age 59. He had arrived home in the morning after staying out all night drinking and playing music with friends. He was playing golf with musician Andy Cummings when he collapsed on the 11th hole. The next day, all of Hawai'i mourned his death at Honolulu Hale. Musicians, fans and thousands of friends mourned this unique man who had changed the face of Hawaiian music. Gabby Pahinui has been the most important force in contemporary Hawaiian music to date.