February 1983: Sharing the Stage with Don Ho

July 12, 2019

My grandparents took me to Hawaii when I was eight. We all wore matching blue floral shirts to a Don Ho show at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

Before the concert started, a man in an E.T. mask came up and asked me if I wanted to be part of the show. I said Yes and my grandparents agreed. E.T. told me that Don would ask for a volunteer at some point, and I was to raise my hand and he’d call me on stage. Then, E.T. told me to remember three answers: No ~ 80 ~ Willie Nelson.

Midway through the show, the con was on. Don pointed to me as I raised my hand. I sat on a stool in front of hundreds of people as he put his arm around me and put a wired microphone to my lips.

“Do you know who I am?” he asked.

“No.”

Audience laughs.

“How old do you think I am?”

“80”

Audience laughs louder.

“Who is your favorite singer?”

“Willie Nelson”

Audience loses it. Don feigns humiliation. I go back to my seat and he continues the show. Closing with “Tiny Bubbles.”

…My fame peaked before I was even in double-digits.

Categorized as: Journal