BILL BIGELOW

One of the first folks I called when pulling together this project in 2007 was Bill Bigelow. (Right) Like me, Bill jumped into radio the same way I did, while still in high school.  He worked at WJTN in Jameston, N.Y.  I was on KIKI, then an AM station on Ward Ave.  Bill did it all, 

eventually teaching radio to people like Pat Sajak and Honolulu TV newsman Joe Moore. The Navy brought Bill to Hawaii, where he fell in love and stayed. The man was a radio and TV broadcaster, an actor (HAWAII FIVE-0, MAGNUM P.I., etc.) Bill and I worked together on his efforts to bring HAWAII CALLS back to the radio in 1993.

It lasted a year, a year that sharpened my appreciation of Hawaiian music. Bill's PR skills and passion for Pearl Harbor and all things Navy inspired his recent efforts to help raise funds to preserve facilities at the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial. Retired as a Lt. Commander and author of  a novel, "Red Sky at Night," which he dropped off here in early 2007. Bill was in on  brainstorming what is now the WHODAGUY HAWAII project and jumped in to head up promotion and marketing. Then illness struck, Bill stepped down and began a battle with cancer that ended Sunday when he died at age 68, A nice man with a booming voice, Bill was here when we went into battle, the kind of man you want by your side.

Which brings us to the the new film written by my fave (and lots of foks David Mamet, about Mixed Marital Art. Mamet's latest film, which he also directed, is REDBELT.  It had already closed at Windward Mall so I had to drive few miles up the road to the Temple Valley Shopping Center multiplex to witness Chitwetel Ejiofor's performance as idealistic and conflicted black belt master Mike Terry. He's a teacher of Jiu-Jitsu who gets entangled in one of Mamet's interwoven webs of scammers, scorched souls and slammin'  samurai. There was only one other person in the theater. We both loved the film. Don't miss this flick if you dig Mamet dialog and appreciate cinematography, this by 2007 Oscar winner, Robert Elswit.

STREAMING NOTE:  On the Jerry Santos session, the bandleader at the 1959 statehood celebration was Bob Crosby. The second mention I incorrectly stated the 50th anniversary of the 50th State.  It will happen on August 21, 2009 ...  And yes, Jerry is correct, the chanter at the opening of Walter Keale's version of "Maikai Mokapu" is indeed Chinky Mahoe.