Celebrating "Barney" Isaacs.
He toured far and wide, collaborated with many other Hawaiian musicians including Alfred Apaka and Gabby Pahinui, and recorded literally hundreds of pieces. His 50-year music career includes 20 years with the Hawaii Calls radio show.
This year, we are honoring Alvin Kalanikau “Barney” Isaacs, Jr., one of the great Hawaiian steel guitar players of the 20th Century. Barney was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on July 18, 1924, and this year marks the centennial of his birth.
His father, Alvin Kaleolani Isaacs Sr., was a composer and the bandleader for The Royal Hawaiian Serenaders, a very famous dance band that had a residency in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in the very earliest days of Hawaiian tourism. Alvin Sr. made sure that Barney and all nine of his siblings learned to play at least one musical instrument.
Three of the children—Barney, Norman, and Atta—learned to play the steel guitar. When the brothers started to work as a trio in their teen years, Norman and Atta switched to guitar and bass, and Barney stayed on the Hawaiian steel guitar.
When Barney was 24, he joined his father’s band and started his career as an international Hawaiian star. He toured far and wide, collaborated with many other Hawaiian musicians including Alfred Apaka and Gabby Pahinui, and recorded literally hundreds of pieces. His 50-year music career includes 20 years with the Hawaii Calls radio show.
Alvin Kalanikau “Barney” Isaacs, Jr. died in Honolulu on Feb 12, 1996. He is survived by his wife Cookie Isaacs. Barney was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1999.
The 2024 HSGA Festival, scheduled for September 26–28, will feature Ed Punua as our Special Guest Performer. Ed had the fortune to be taught the Hawaiian steel guitar by Barney many years ago.
In this newsletter edition, you will find links to videos and music recordings that feature Barney. If you are not familiar with his music, you are in for a treat.