49 YEARS AGO TODAY

On May 18, 1959, KHON Radio switched its name to KPOI and turned the on presumptive 49th state to rock and roll.  It caught on before the U. S. Congress did.  Rock on the Rock was here to stay starting 49 years ago today.  

Here's an update on those present at the creation, The Poi Boys.

Taking it from the top, "JUMPIN" GEORGE WEST - Only person I was forced to fire three times.  Chased me wih a gun at KPOI in 1960, then enraged a farmer's daughter's father at KMEN, San Bernardino, CA in 1963. He was at KHJ when I arrived in L. A.  He lasted a few years before blowing it.  As Andy West he redeemed himself many times over as the radio reporter on hand when Robert Kennedy was shot.  West was oldest of the bunch and passed away in the 1980s in Flint, Michigan.

TOM ROUNDS arrived from New York by way of WINS, where he interned for a while after graduating from Amherst, where he ran the campus station.  TR quickly went from news director to the top afternoon drive deejay in town. We have collaborated on many things, most notably American Top 40. TR lives in L. A. in the same house he bought when he arrived in the 60s.  He and wife Barbara can be found there on occasion when not traveling the globe for the family business, Radio Express,

BOB "THE BEARD" LOWRIE was a veteran staff announcer at KHON who survived the mass purge when the wild and crazy kids arrived.  Beard was an old school guy who grooved along with everything that happened.  He did a deejay show, was a sharp news man and he hosted a weekly horror movie for years on Channel Two, which he announced from a coffin.  He has since passed on, leaving many in Hawaii holding fond memories of this original, albeit weird, talent.

BOB PRESCOTT was a buddy of mine since small kid time, hanging out and making what was then considered trouble. After a tour in the Navy, the laconic Prescott found himself sitting in KPOI's studio the day that I created The Fake Ricky Nelson. He played the part of the teen idol when we got into a violent argument and "fist fight" during an interview.  Based on this he was able to work in California, notably on the original crew of the first Underground Hippie FM station, KMPX,  He returned to Hawaii and passed away about ten years ago, having lived a life of never making an enemy,

DONN TYLER was another buddy from when I lived in Aina Haina and Niu subdivision had just been started. Tyler and I had bizarre and bawdy adventures from Haleiwa to Hong Kong, always trying subtly to out-Virgo the other. Many classic Hawaiian albums (Gabby, Genoa Keawe, Don Ho, etc.) were made at Commercial Recorders on Cooke Street, which Tyler owned and operated for years.  Sometime around the turn of this century, he up and moved to New Mexico.  He returns home often and sometimes we negotiate a friendly breakfast at Koa House, down the street.

JEREMIAH GRUNDY was country but he never was cool.  This annoying character stalked me at KHVH, KPOI and still tries to sneak in on the phone and get his Jack Daniels-drenched voice on my show.  Barack Obama should be elected, if only to deport this emotional terrorist to where he can scream at macaws, or something else that sounds like him.

RON JACOBS is typing this. KPOI accountant LIN HON AU edited it so tell him about any goofs,

"UNCLE" TOM MOFFATT is my oldest friend in radio.  He has been there, done that, won the T-Shirt and is known as the "Showman of  The Pacific."  His autobiography is second only to Obama's touching "Dreams of My Fathers."  Moffatt has met and hung with everyone from Wally Amos to Wally Shemerhorn, Screamin' Jay Hawkins to preanin' Little Richard, the Young Rascals to Steve Young, Ralph Yempuku to Duke Kahanamoku to Willie Nelson, li' dat. Moffatt resides with Miz Sweetie Of Niniko, deep within Nuuanu Valley, where he has attempted to grow grapes with Vicodin-enhanced fertilizer.  An Army veteran, Moffatt is a brilliant columnist, top-ranked  backgammon player and does a weekly Oldies show, aided by COOLIDGE NAKAMURA, not shown on the song sheet above.  

Also not pictured is original Poi Boy SAM SANFORD, who was fired before there was enough money to print song sheets.  The chief engineer was FRANK FITCH. Any other person claiming to be a Poi Boy is a fraudulent wannabe who was not working at 1701 Ala Wai on May 18, 1959.  Official Poi Girls were BUSTY RUSTY ROUNDS, JEAN KINI SULLIVAN and ELIZABETH "LIZ" HUDSON.  They were not discriminated against in any way, other than to be forbidden to use the shower.  Official Provisioner: The Beach Market, GEORGE & EUGENE SHIMIZU, proprietors. There may have been a sales staff, but no commercials were sold for a few days, I think.

Dedicated to H. G. "Jock" Fearnhead & "Fin" Hollinger, 

from whom we learned so much and were paid so little.

K-poi Mabel ~ R. I. P.

Sponsored by NO BUGS M'LADY, LIPPY ESPINDA and PORTRAITS HAWAII