McDIARMID & MOUZIS CELEBRATE 60

I was 17 when I met Don McDiarmid, Jr. Honolulu promotion man for Capitol Records, he brought us a singer for the Roosevelt High School pep rally I was producing. Soon after, I dropped out of school and was a DJ. Don was the hippest cat around. When we started KPOI, he was first to give us a chance. Over the years, as head of Hula Records, a firm begun by his dad, Don has been involved in every phase of the local music scene. He has many Hokus (the local Garmmy) and a Lifetime Achievement award to show for his success, But Don's value goes way beyond trophies. He hauled a tape recorder out to Kaneohe to record an unknown singer named Don Ho back in the 60s. He bought and saved HAWAII CALLS, the legendary show that originated "From the Beach at Waikiki" for 40 years, And he's been on my side for over 50 years, Most recently he was the first to support my current project. I received the entire Hula Records catalog when Don made it happen. I visited with him in his Kailua home in April and recorded his memories of his years in the music industry. He was as fast and as funny as ever. The result is a virtual History of Hawaiian music. It is in our archives, persevered for the future.

It seems impossible that it was less than ten years later when I met Bill Mouzis. It was 1965 when I arrived in L.A. and was hired as program director of KHJ, a once mighty station that had slipped miserably to the bottom of the ratings barrel. At our first meeting, Bill and I hit it off. Creatively, there was totally no "age difference" between us. He immediately got behind the rock music we'd feature on Boss Radio. As shop steward, Bill convinced KHJ's engineers to give a cocky, young crew of deejays a chance. In those days, in the big towns, the board operators ran all the controls, spun the actual records. They could make a jock sound great, or horrid. Bill was the editor for virtually everything we produced during my watch, 1965-69. Among them were the landmark 48-hour HISTORY OF ROCK AND ROLL. Bill went on to work at major AM and FM stations in L.A. before he retired . He bought a Cadillac, learned to use a computer and email and spent his times with friends and family.

These two men have so much in common. Quite amazing: Both are 86 and veterans of the U. S. Navy and patriots to the bone. Each has a son that's followed him in their profession and won awards.  Don and Bill are rabid writers of Letters to the Editor. Passionate in their political opinions, on that score they are worlds apart. Mouzis was joined by friends at a 60th wedding celebration in L.A. last week. Don does the same tomorrow night in Honolulu. He also has a Cadillac, which he still drives vigorously. 

But of greater importance than anything I imagine, they have the most important treasure a man can have: A loving wife who has stood behind him through all the times, good and bad, high and low. Alva McDiarmid raised a family and been on hand for most every major musical event in Hawaii. She was a musician who actually got Don into the field. Nancy Mouzis held down the fort at home when Bill was on call at hours, which comes with his job. She became the Godmother to the irascible deejays who would show up at the Mouzis home in various degrees of sobriety and often hurl themselves in their pool.

So congratulations to this pair of young lovers who have given everyone they've touched so much knowledge and joy. Imagine, they were married in  1948. Were you even born then?