Frank Ferera
Encyclopedia
Frank Ferera was a Hawaii
an musician
who recorded successfully between 1915 and 1930. He was the first star of Hawaiian music and influenced many later artists.
in 1885 of Portuguese
ancestry. Ferera first visited the mainland United States
as part of the Keoki E Awai troupe, which had been booked to entertain at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition
.
He married Helen Louise Greenus, daughter of Seattle businessman Albert E. Greenus, and toured with her through the USA, appearing in vaudeville
. In 1915, they got a contract with Columbia Records
and recorded many great tunes.
On December 12, 1919, Frank and Helen were on board the steamship SS President, from Los Angeles
back to their home in Seattle. Frank reported that Helen had gone on deck for a walk at 4 a.m. and never returned. After a search failed to turn up the missing Mrs. Ferera, she was presumed lost at sea.
In the late 1920s, during a wave of Hawaiian music popularity, Frank Ferera's Hawaiian Trio recorded a number of songs with jazz singer Annette Hanshaw, including: Was It A Dream?, For Old Time's Sake, Get Out and Get Under the Moon, Lonely Nights In Hawaii, Chiquita, Maui Girl, Sonny Boy, Sweet Lei Lehua, Carolina Moon, Maui Chimes, Pagan Love Song, Singing in the Rain, Ua No a Like - Sweet Constancy, and Forget Me Not, Lazy Louisiana Moon, and Pale Blue Waters.
While Ferera was the first commercially successful Hawaiian recording artist in the teens, by the late 1920s, a new wave of steel guitarists, including Sol Hoopii, were upstaging him.
Ferera married three times. He died on June 26, 1951, survived by his third wife, Ruth, son Frank Ferreira III and daughter Mary Ferreira.
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
who recorded successfully between 1915 and 1930. He was the first star of Hawaiian music and influenced many later artists.
Biography
Frank Ferera was born in Honolulu, HawaiiHonolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
in 1885 of Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
ancestry. Ferera first visited the mainland United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as part of the Keoki E Awai troupe, which had been booked to entertain at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition
Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915)
The Panama-Pacific International Exposition was a world's fair held in San Francisco, California between February 20 and December 4 in 1915. Its ostensible purpose was to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, but it was widely seen in the city as an opportunity to showcase its recovery...
.
He married Helen Louise Greenus, daughter of Seattle businessman Albert E. Greenus, and toured with her through the USA, appearing in vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
. In 1915, they got a contract with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
and recorded many great tunes.
On December 12, 1919, Frank and Helen were on board the steamship SS President, from Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
back to their home in Seattle. Frank reported that Helen had gone on deck for a walk at 4 a.m. and never returned. After a search failed to turn up the missing Mrs. Ferera, she was presumed lost at sea.
In the late 1920s, during a wave of Hawaiian music popularity, Frank Ferera's Hawaiian Trio recorded a number of songs with jazz singer Annette Hanshaw, including: Was It A Dream?, For Old Time's Sake, Get Out and Get Under the Moon, Lonely Nights In Hawaii, Chiquita, Maui Girl, Sonny Boy, Sweet Lei Lehua, Carolina Moon, Maui Chimes, Pagan Love Song, Singing in the Rain, Ua No a Like - Sweet Constancy, and Forget Me Not, Lazy Louisiana Moon, and Pale Blue Waters.
While Ferera was the first commercially successful Hawaiian recording artist in the teens, by the late 1920s, a new wave of steel guitarists, including Sol Hoopii, were upstaging him.
Ferera married three times. He died on June 26, 1951, survived by his third wife, Ruth, son Frank Ferreira III and daughter Mary Ferreira.
Singles
- My Old Kentucky Home
- Kilima Waltz
- Along The Way To Waikiki
- Maui Chime
- Southern Blues
- Dreamin