Sam Ku West

Sam Ku West

Sam Ku West (* 1907 in Honolulu , Hawaii Territory as Sam Ku, Jr. , † 1930 in Paris , France ) was an American guitarist . In his short career he rose to become one of the most successful steel guitarists in the world. His nickname was Kreisler Of The Steel Guitar , which he got from King George V of Great Britain during a performance in Singapore .

Life

Sam Ku started his professional career as a musician in 1926 as an artist on Irene West's Royal Hawaiians , a vaudeville show. There he also took his stage name Sam Ku West. In June 1927 he traveled to New York City , where he recorded a total of 27 titles for Vocalion , Banner , Gennett and for RCA Victor by 1928. With his band, the Harmony Boys , he made tours all over the world, even as far as Asia, which resulted in his performances. He performed in Hong Kong , Shanghai and Manila , among others . This tour ended in Paris in 1930.

West then planned to make recordings for Odeon , a record company in Germany , but a serious illness prevented this project. Sam Ku West died in Paris in 1930.

By Mme Riviere's Hawaiians , a group with which he was on tour together, West's fame was cemented after his death.

Discography

year	title	Remarks
Banner Records
approx. 1926 (?)	St. Louis Blues / Memphis Blues	with James Kohono
Gennett Records
1927	Farewell Blues / Sweet Georgia Brown
1927	Old Joe Clark / Ua Like No Alike
1927	Cunha Medley / Cunha Medley	A-side from the Kulani Trio
1928	Happy Heinie March / Walalae
1928	Aloha Oe / Strange Isles Medley	B-side from the Keole Brothers
RCA Victor
1928	Le Ilima / Huehue Huehue	A-side from the Holouha Trio
1928	Kawaihua Waltz / Maoani Ke Ala
1928	Palolo / Lepe Ulaula
1928	Wang Wang Blues / Stack O'Lee Blues
1928	Sunkist Hawaii / Na Le O Hawaii	B-side from Kane's Hawaiians
1928	The Rosary / Old Black Joe
1928	Minnehaha / Drowsy Waters
Vocalion Records
1927	Someday Sweetheart / Honolulu Blues
1927	Hawaiian Hula / Sweet Hawaiian Dreams

Web links

• biography