Kinney was born in Hilo, Hawaii to Irish-Hawaiian parents
William & Pilialoha Kinney. At age 15 he and his six brothers were sent to
school in Salt Lake City, Utah. Already skilled on the ukulele and with a fine
tenor voice, Ray and his brothers formed their own band and began touring the
western US. He returned to Hawaii in 1920 upon the death of his mother.
Ray was cast in 1925 as the lead in the opera "Prince
of Hawaii" by noted Hawaiian composer Charles E. King. The opera began
touring in California in 1926. In 1928 bandleader Johnny Noble chose Kinney
among others to appear on his radio show. The show originated from station KPO
in San Francisco and was basically an hour long promotion for Hawaiian
tourism.Later that year Brunswick Records signed Noble, with Kinney as one of the singers, to a contract that resulted in 110 singles being issued. Those 78s and the show helped introduce and popularize Hawaiian music in the US mainland and lead to a national tour and then an 11-month engagement at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.
tourism.Later that year Brunswick Records signed Noble, with Kinney as one of the singers, to a contract that resulted in 110 singles being issued. Those 78s and the show helped introduce and popularize Hawaiian music in the US mainland and lead to a national tour and then an 11-month engagement at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.
While working in a Taro factory in 1934, Kinney was approached
by bandleader Harry Owens to join his orchestra for their opening at the Royal
Hawaiian Hotel. Ray appeared on the premiere broadcast of Webley Edwards'
"Hawaii Calls" radio show from the Moana Hotel in July 1935. He
regularly appeared on the show for a number of years. Decca Records signed
Johnny Noble and His Orchestra, with Kinney as vocalist, to a contract in 1936.
The "phenomenal" sales results kept them under contract for four
years.
Kinney became the first Hawaiian entertainer to be in a major
Broadway production when he and the "Aloha Maids" were cast in the
Olsen and Johnson Broadway revue "Hellzapoppin'" in September 1938.
The show lasted 1,404 performances and ran until December 1941. 1938 also saw
Kinney beat out the likes of Rudy Vallée and Guy Lombardo in a New York
popularity poll of American singers as well as begin a four-year stint in the
"Hawaiian Room" of New York's Hotel Lexington leading his own
orchestra.
Alfred Apaka was hired by Kinney in 1940 as his vocalist at the
"Hawaiian Room" and was featured on several Kinney
recordings.Kinney's 1941 musical short "Ana Lani" is frequently mixed up with the 1947 "Hawaiian Hula Song". During the war years, Kinney toured 157 military bases and clubs becoming a favourite of Hawaii's 442nd Regiment. The end of the war saw
Kinney return to Hawaii and join Don McDiarmid's Orchestra performing at the Kewalo Inn as vocalist and bass fiddle player.
In 1949, Kinney discovered Eddie Kamae and took him on tour
and finally, in 1959, adding Kamae to the "Royal Hawaiian Hotel
Orchestra".Kinney also composed many songs during his career including
"Across the Sea", "Not Pau", "Hawaiian
Hospitality", "Maile Lau Li'ili'i", "Island Serenade",
"Kalapaki Bay", "Ululani", and "Leimana."
Ray signed his last recording contract at age 65 with RCA.
Kinney noted it was "somewhat of a miracle" that his recording career
had lasted nearly forty years and almost 600 songs.
Ray Kinney was charismatic, and a born musician, dedicated
to presenting the music of his Hawai`i. He sang in Hawai`i's best hotels until
he died early in 1972, still in possession of the beautiful tenor voice and
unique falsetto styling that imprinted Hawaiian music in the United States for
all time. (Edited mainly from Wikipedia)
1 comment:
For two Roy Kinney albums go here:
https://www.upload.ee/files/10525462/Ray_Kinney.rar.html
Ray Kinney and his Hawaiians - Sweet Hawaiian Moonlight (1939)
1. Ka-Lu-A
2. Hawaiian Love
3. Drowsy Waters (Wailana Waltz)
4. Aloma
5. Pagan Love Song
6. Sweet Hawaiian Moonlight (Tell Her Of My Love)
7. One-Two-Three-Four
8. Yaaka Hula Hickey Dula
9. Blue Pacific Moonlight
10. Honolulu
Ray Kinney and his Hawaiians - “Songs of Hawaii”(1938)
1. “Nani Wale Na Hala (Na Hala O Naue)” 2:48
2. “Mai Poina Oe I'au (Forget Me Not)” 3:08
3. “Wahine U'I (Beautiful One)” 3:03
4. “Mi Nei (How About Me?)” 2:58
5. “Hapa Haole Hula Girl” 2:48
6. “Pili Me Oe (Right There ith You)” 2:52
7. “Ke Kali Nei Au (Waiting For Thee 3:00
8. “Hualalai (Steamboat Hula)” 2:57
9. “Kuu Ipo Pua Rose” 3:09
10. “Makala Pua” 2:57
Thanks to Allen’s Archive of Early and Old Country Music & Jim’s Old Records for above albums.
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