During World War II he organized what he called Hawai'i's first Big Band — Ray Tanaka and The Esquires. Through the years, band members included local music legends Gabe Baltazar, Al King and Trummy Young, and it accompanied entertainers such as Frank Sinatra, Patti Page, Sammy Davis Jr., and Donald O'Connor.

Tanaka also helped many young musicians and found them jobs with many visiting entertainers.

Jonathan Cabagbag was a teenager growing up in Kalihi when he hooked up with Tanaka. Cabagbag, 48, plays saxophone and clarinet with several bands and said Tanaka was mentor and a friend.

"His legacy would be providing music to Hawai'i using Hawai'i musicians. He got us jobs," Cabagbag said. "He was very creative. He would bring together national and international artists to come and perform and we as musicians would get to play with them."

Tanaka's band played original musical arrangements put together for Tanaka by top Hollywood and Las Vegas arrangers, Cabagbag said. Many of the songs were given to Cabagbag by Tanaka.

"Ray's legacy will keep on going through his music," Cabagbag said.

Baltazar, 74, was a teenager when he met Tanaka at a music store. Baltazar later played with the Esquires and went on to be one of Hawai'i's most popular jazz performers.

"He had The Esquire orchestra, which was very famous in the 1940s and 50s. Everybody used to go dancing in those days, and Ray had a very popular orchestra," Baltazar said. "I played in the tail-end of the orchestra because I was too young yet in the 40s. I was just learning to play professionally."

But Tanaka would later call on Baltazar to perform with the likes of Sammy Davis Jr. "He called me a lot to play in a lot of important shows," Baltazar said.

Tanaka also used his skills in other areas.

In the early 1960s, Tanaka began a 25-year love affair with the collegiate football all-star game the Hula Bowl. He produced the colorful half-time shows that were the highlight of the live broadcasts to the Mainland.

As a businessman, Tanaka promoted concerts that featured Engelbert Humperdinck, Air Supply and top entertainers from Japan. He was the musical director for the Cherry Blossom Song Festival for more than 20 years and founded the Hawai'i Music Festival and the Hawai'i World Music Festival.

Tanaka served as president of the Aloha Week festivities, was a director of the Hawai'i Visitors Bureau, was the first president of the Hawai'i Fashion Guild, and was a member of the Civil Service Commission. For more than 25 years, he was the secretary-treasurer of the Musicians Union Local 677.

In his "spare" time, Tanaka ran the family's Pacific Sportswear business.

Baltazar said he was amazed at how successful Tanaka was, despite all of his ventures.

"He was a musician and a businessman. That's a hard combination. That's a rare combination," Baltazar said.

Tanaka is survived by his wife, Hideko; sons, Ray-Stan, Donn, Carl, Robert, Roger and Roy; daughter, Linda; sister, Jean Nishimoto; brother, Shigeki; and two grandsons.

Service will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Hosoi Mortuary. Burial is scheduled Thursday at O'ahu Cemetery.