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Closing Notes... Oldest Steel Guitar Player in the World Dies at 101(by Lorene Ruymar, reprinted from the May '99 "Steel Guitar World Magazine") For a whole year I was going to tell you about this man, sorry I was so slow. I was asking for pictures to go with the article, but I should have known that when you're over 100 years old, people had better move fast if they want to pay you a tribute that you'll know about. I first heard about David Ka`ili when I was gathering stories for my book. That name was well-known to me as one of the famous (before your time) "Pale K. Lua and David Ka`ili" duo, both being excellent steel guitarists, but Lua being the one who played it the most, with Ka`ili on back-up guitar. I was astounded to find out there really were TWO steel guitarists, both named David Ka`ili. Both had connections with Pale K. Lua, and both made recordings. It's hard to separate the two stories. David L. Ka`ili was born in 1890 in Kahana, O`ahu, killed in the Philippines, WWII. Our man is David Kahanamoku Ka`ili, born in 1897 on the small island of Lanai, Hawai`i. He had the good luck to settle in Des Moines, Iowa about 65 years ago, continue his steel guitar playing career, and raise a family. If he hadn't taken a fall, he'd have made it (just eleven more days) to 101 for sure. But I believe he had long ago earned the title "World's Oldest Steel Guitar Player". On his 100th birthday, he played a tune for his many admirers, and was still living alone caring for himself. What a man! He had a truly Hawaiian funeral, where his own recordings were played. The Des Moines Register reported "ŠHe toured with big bands and played guitar for presidents and movie stars." Here's the really chicken skin part. (YOU might say "goose bumps"; Hawaiians say "chicken skin".) I truly believe this man's music is what turned me on to a lifetime dedication to steel guitar, played Hawaiian style. In the 1930's, David was playing on radio station KRNT, Des Moines, in a show called "Tall Corn Time". Where was I? A LO-O-O-NG distance north on a remote farm in Saskatchewan. Our best crop was big grasshoppers. Our only electric power came from a wind charger, but in winter there was lots of that and for some reason we could get, clear as a bell, a signal from a radio station in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and the most heavenly Hawaiian music floated north to warm us. David told me he never performed on that radio station (about 130 miles west of Des Moines) but I doubt there were any Hawaiians playing in the area, so it's my theory that radio stations sold recordings to neighbor stations and I was hearing the steel guitar styling of David Kahanamoku Ka`ili. None of my siblings took an interest, but the love of steel guitar became part of my bones and has had a huge influence on me throughout my life. Hey, I don't want you to think I'm THAT old. My mum got the crystal set working, I wasn't old enough to do it. She got hooked on Hawaiian too. It's contagious. Imagine how excited I was eight years ago when I heard about David. I'm sure that wasn't the MAIN reason the Good Lord allowed him to stay so long, but it must have been one of the small reasons, don't you think? Chicken skin!!! ED NOTE: Lorene regularly writes about Hawaiian steel guitar for "Steel Guitar World", and there are many other interesting articles in this full-color magazine. If you're not a subscriber, you might want to be - HSGA is. Contact publisher Russell Rask, Box 9297, Spokane, WA 99209. By phone: 509-487-5658, or e-mail rask@ior.com. 
HSGA * HAWAIIAN
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