It has seen some of the best entertainers and athletes of our time.

From the hips of Michael Jackson to the lips of Mick Jagger, from the arm of Joe Montana to the feet of Pele, from big wheels to big crowds, the most famous have trotted on its turf.

If it could speak, it would have some glorious stories to tell from inside its walls.

If it were alive, it would have experienced a wonderful life.

It has endured rain, wind and rust that threatened its longevity.

And yet it has stood, an icon that H-1 drivers expect seeing as they drive up Red Hill and approach Halawa Valley.

Today, Aloha Stadium marks the 30th anniversary of its first game.

Alex Kaloi was the starting quarterback for the University of Hawai'i against Texas A&I on Sept. 13, 1975.

He remembers the day well.

Kaloi and the UH football team were walloped, 43-9, at the 50,000-seat facility. However, it was the junior quarterback's 2-yard scoring run with Texas A&I up 35-0 in the third quarter that turned him into a trivia question, "Who was the first UH player to score a touchdown at Aloha Stadium?"

"It was basically just a roll out," Kaloi said of his historic touchdown. "At the time, we just wanted to score."

At least once, Kaloi, a Leilehua High School graduate who is now a dentist in Wai'anae, has been reminded of his moment of fame.

"I was listening to a radio show a few years back, and they asked, 'Who was the first UH player to score a touchdown at Aloha Stadium?' " Kaloi recalled. "I said, 'Oh, that's me!' It was actually pretty funny because they were waiting for somebody to call in with an answer, and no one got it.

"I felt like calling in," said Kaloi, whose daughter chanted "call in! call in!" because she wanted the prize. "But I didn't want to embarrass myself."

Kaloi and UH football coach June Jones were Rainbow quarterbacks in 1974 under first-year head coach Larry Price. Kaloi's solid running ability gave him the edge over Jones, who later transferred to Portland State, where he rewrote the Division II record book for passing. Jones later played for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons from 1977-81.

"If June stayed here in that offense (Price's Hula-T formation required a running quarterback), he probably wouldn't have made it into the pros, and he would have never met Mouse Davis (regarded as the developer of the modern-age, run-and-shoot passing offense)," Kaloi said. "Like they say, things happen for a reason."

STADIUM PUT HAWAI'I ON THE MAP

Blane Gaison, a former UH defensive back who went on to play five years with the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, is one of the few players who played at both Honolulu Stadium — a wooden stadium in Mo'ili'ili called the "Termite Palace" that stood for 50 years — and Aloha Stadium, which he called a "first-class facility."

"Back in the 1970s, we didn't have anything like that, it was something totally brand new," said Gaison of Aloha Stadium. "It was something that you saw on TV with all the major colleges and the professional teams. And here we had one of our own.

"I think Aloha Stadium put Hawai'i on the map in terms of having a facility that could accommodate a professional organization and a professional league," added Gaison, who is now Kamehameha's co-athletic director.

The Rainbows became an NCAA Division I member in 1974, and Gaison said Aloha Stadium "solidified our presence in a Division I level of competition."

The good memories don't stop there.

Promoter Tom Moffatt brought some of the biggest musical events to the stadium, such as Janet Jackson in 1999, the Rolling Stones in 1998, Michael Jackson in 1997 and Billy Joel in 1987.

But one of his most vivid memories involved two local musical groups.

Moffatt recalled having to appease the manager of two top local musical groups, Cecilio and Kapono, and Kalapana, in the stadium's first big concert Dec. 26, 1976. A crowd estimated at 30,000 attended, and Moffatt added each of the groups was guaranteed $50,000, a large sum at that time.

Moffatt said both groups wanted top billing, so "I think they flipped a coin to see who would close the show."

Officials also produced a special program booklet for the show, the promoter said. "The program on one side had Cecilio and Kapono, and when you flipped it, the other side was Kalapana," Moffatt said. "It was one of those books that had two front covers on."

Moffatt also spoke fondly of his only concert rainout, Feb. 3, 1979, with the jazz-leaning band, Chicago.

"As soon as they started, 'boom!', it just opened up," Moffatt said. "I remember leaving the stadium and the freeway was flooded. We had to dry out the equipment and it rained again. The band was nice enough to stay around. We finally got the concert on about four days later."

ALL EVENTS BECAME MEANINGFUL

Apparently with Aloha Stadium, even the smallest events can produce big memories.

Aloha Stadium may be known for hosting the Pro Bowl, but it's the small events that form goodwill, said stadium spokesman Patrick Leonard.

"My biggest thrill is watching a little leaguer come on the field for the first time and stand side by side with a college player during our Hawai'i Collegiate Baseball League season," Leonard said. "That gives me chicken skin."

Leonard said Aloha Stadium is special because it hosts so many different types of events, ranging from sporting events, graduations, band competitions, concerts, tours, carnivals, and the popular weekly swap meets.

"I don't think there's any other venue in the state that can do all the different types of events that we do at our stadium," Leonard said. "It's a place for people to gather. I don't think I've ever met anyone who hasn't been to Aloha Stadium."

For high school student-athletes, playing at Aloha Stadium is a treat, Hawai'i High School Athletic Association executive director Keith Amemiya said.

"The stadium is a special place for our high school student-athletes because it's the home of University of Hawai'i football, the Hawai'i Bowl, the Pro Bowl, and other high-profile events, therefore our student-athletes get excited when they get the opportunity to play there because they see it on TV so often," Amemiya said.

"Without it, we wouldn't be able to host large scale events like the one that brought De La Salle and Long Beach Poly ...," Amemiya added.

In 2002, the stadium hosted two-time defending USA Today national champion and No. 1 De La Salle of Concord, Calif., No. 3 Long Beach Poly (Calif.), No. 17 Saint Louis and Kahuku. De La Salle defeated Saint Louis, 31-21, to win its 127th consecutive game. Long Beach Poly defeated Kahuku, 42-16.

Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com.