Biography
Best remembered for his signature hit "Beautiful Kauai," singer Kawai Cockett kept traditional Hawaiian music alive well into the new millennium. He entered the world on September 24, 1938, in Pukoo, Molokai, and was brought up by his father's cousin. In contrast to most Hawaiian children of that era, he grew up fluent in the native language and acquired English only after starting primary school, the same period when he first took up the ukulele. Following high school he enrolled at Kapiolani Technical College, then moved to Oahu in 1957 with the goal of establishing himself as a performer. A protégé of renowned composer John Kameaaloha Almeida, known as the "Dean of Hawaiian Music," Cockett launched his recording career in 1969 with the album Beautiful Kauai, achieving his first and most lasting success through his definitive version of the title track. Although he issued numerous LPs across the years and earned a Na Hoku Hanohano Award as Male Vocalist of the Year for 1993's O Ka 'Ohao Ku'u 'Aina Nani, his strongest impact came through live appearances, where he headlined in Waikiki for over a decade and toured widely on behalf of the Hawaii Visitors Bureau. Cockett stepped away from performing in 1998, yet continued to give concerts for children in subsequent years and returned in 1999 with the album Na Mele Maoli. He passed away from diabetes-related complications on September 20, 2006, just days before turning 68.
Albums
