Bill Tapia In The Spotlight
When Bill passed away in early December 2011, the news quickly spread around the world. Having spent nearly nine decades entertaining people, it's hard to say exactly how many people he truly touched with his music.
As a testament to how greatly he was respected and adored, we have compiled a list of articles, from Los Angeles to Lithuania, that featured Bill and celebrated his life, his legacy and his enormous contribution to the music industry.
As a testament to how greatly he was respected and adored, we have compiled a list of articles, from Los Angeles to Lithuania, that featured Bill and celebrated his life, his legacy and his enormous contribution to the music industry.
Bill Tapia (1908-2011). Ukulele jazzer and educator gets his Patsy Cline on in Japan. Age 102. Because why not? Tapia started his career at age 8 entertaining troops stationed in Hawaii in World War I (yes, you read that right) and continued on in vaudeville and later collaborated with Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby and Elvis.
Los Angeles Times - Article by Marcia Adair Aprpril 3, 2013BBC News - "Widely believed to be the oldest performing musician ever to take to the stage".
Today Show / MSNBC - "Tappy" performed with Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, taught Clark Gable to play.
Hawaii Reporter - Bill Tapia, 103 Year-old Ukulele Virtuoso, to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ukulele.Org - 2004 Ukulele Hall of Fame Inductee
UPI - "Tapia grew up playing new releases that went on to become Hawaiian and pop standards".
Reuters UK - "Tapia was inducted into the Ukulele Hall of Fame in 2004 and continued to tour until 2010".
Los Angeles Times - "Bill Tapia, a virtuoso ukulele player from Hawaii who learned to strum the instrument at age 7, performed for U.S. troops during World War I..."
Washington Post - Bill Tapia toured nationally and internationally, with festival performances drawing thousands. His story was detailed in a documentary, "To You Sweetheart, Aloha."
Honolulu Pulse - "Tapia had amazed concert audiences with his repertoire of Hawaiian, hapa-haole and pop standards".
United Kingdom - "Started his career performing for World War I troops in 1918".
New York Times - Mr. Tapia was “discovered” as a ukulele virtuoso at a time when the instrument was having a resurgence of popularity.
Philadelphia Inquirer - "Bill Tapia is credited with putting the ukulele on the map."
Celebrity Cafe - "By the age of twelve Bill Tapia was set on a career as a musician during an era of changing musical styles".
Australia - "Tapia was the last living link to the earliest days of both jazz and the ukulele as a popular instrument".
France - "légendaire joueur de ukulélé et recordman du monde de naissance le premier janvier..."
Italy - "Nato ad Honolulu, Tapia, che ha suonato insieme a Louis Armstrong e Bing Crosby".
Taipei Times - "Tapia, whose career spanned 90 years was the last living link to the earliest days of both jazz and the ukulele as a popular instrument.”
Netherlands - "Tapia, geboren in 1908, begon op 7-jarige leeftijd met het bespelen van het snaarinstrument..."
Peru - "El intérprete de ukelele Bill Tapia, que se cree que era el músico más anciano del mundo, murió el viernes a los 103 años."
Slovakia - "V piatok skonal vo veku 103 rokov hudobník Bill Tapia, ktorý so svojou hrou na ukulele vystupoval takmer do konca svojho života."
Sweden - "Ukulelespelaren Bill Tapia avled på fredagen i Los Angeles, USA, en månad innan han skulle fylla 104 år. För ett halvår sedan släppte han sitt senaste album."
Czech Republic - "Tapia byl považován za nejstaršího hudebníka na světě, který stále vystupoval na scéně, informuje v sobotu agentura Reuters."
Denmark - "Bill Tapia blev 103 år gammel. Han har gennem sin karriere spillet med legender som Louis Armstrong, Elvis Presley og Bing Crosby."
Norway - "Bill Tapia er antatt å være den eldste utøvende musikeren som noensinne har entret scenen."
Poland - "Był prawdopodobnie najstarszym czynnym muzykiem na świecie. W Los Angeles zmarł wirtuoz gry na ukulele, Bill Tapia. Za niespełna miesiąc skończyłby 104 lata."
Lithuania - "Penktadienį, sulaukęs 103 metų, mirė vyriausias pasaulyje muzikantas Bilas Tapija (Bill Tapia), kuris grojo Havajų gitara, rašo telegraph.co.uk".
Today Show / MSNBC - "Tappy" performed with Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, taught Clark Gable to play.
Hawaii Reporter - Bill Tapia, 103 Year-old Ukulele Virtuoso, to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ukulele.Org - 2004 Ukulele Hall of Fame Inductee
UPI - "Tapia grew up playing new releases that went on to become Hawaiian and pop standards".
Reuters UK - "Tapia was inducted into the Ukulele Hall of Fame in 2004 and continued to tour until 2010".
Los Angeles Times - "Bill Tapia, a virtuoso ukulele player from Hawaii who learned to strum the instrument at age 7, performed for U.S. troops during World War I..."
Washington Post - Bill Tapia toured nationally and internationally, with festival performances drawing thousands. His story was detailed in a documentary, "To You Sweetheart, Aloha."
Honolulu Pulse - "Tapia had amazed concert audiences with his repertoire of Hawaiian, hapa-haole and pop standards".
United Kingdom - "Started his career performing for World War I troops in 1918".
New York Times - Mr. Tapia was “discovered” as a ukulele virtuoso at a time when the instrument was having a resurgence of popularity.
Philadelphia Inquirer - "Bill Tapia is credited with putting the ukulele on the map."
Celebrity Cafe - "By the age of twelve Bill Tapia was set on a career as a musician during an era of changing musical styles".
Australia - "Tapia was the last living link to the earliest days of both jazz and the ukulele as a popular instrument".
France - "légendaire joueur de ukulélé et recordman du monde de naissance le premier janvier..."
Italy - "Nato ad Honolulu, Tapia, che ha suonato insieme a Louis Armstrong e Bing Crosby".
Taipei Times - "Tapia, whose career spanned 90 years was the last living link to the earliest days of both jazz and the ukulele as a popular instrument.”
Netherlands - "Tapia, geboren in 1908, begon op 7-jarige leeftijd met het bespelen van het snaarinstrument..."
Peru - "El intérprete de ukelele Bill Tapia, que se cree que era el músico más anciano del mundo, murió el viernes a los 103 años."
Slovakia - "V piatok skonal vo veku 103 rokov hudobník Bill Tapia, ktorý so svojou hrou na ukulele vystupoval takmer do konca svojho života."
Sweden - "Ukulelespelaren Bill Tapia avled på fredagen i Los Angeles, USA, en månad innan han skulle fylla 104 år. För ett halvår sedan släppte han sitt senaste album."
Czech Republic - "Tapia byl považován za nejstaršího hudebníka na světě, který stále vystupoval na scéně, informuje v sobotu agentura Reuters."
Denmark - "Bill Tapia blev 103 år gammel. Han har gennem sin karriere spillet med legender som Louis Armstrong, Elvis Presley og Bing Crosby."
Norway - "Bill Tapia er antatt å være den eldste utøvende musikeren som noensinne har entret scenen."
Poland - "Był prawdopodobnie najstarszym czynnym muzykiem na świecie. W Los Angeles zmarł wirtuoz gry na ukulele, Bill Tapia. Za niespełna miesiąc skończyłby 104 lata."
Lithuania - "Penktadienį, sulaukęs 103 metų, mirė vyriausias pasaulyje muzikantas Bilas Tapija (Bill Tapia), kuris grojo Havajų gitara, rašo telegraph.co.uk".
