Singer's support helped launch careers of other young performers

I would like to say goodbye and make peace with the passing of my dear friend, Don "Quack" Ho — but that would be impossible.

He'll always be with me — he was everything that embodied "aloha." He gave and he shared because that was the right thing to do, not because it would look good in the eyes of his fans.

Don the man was truly the quintessential Hawaiian: He was proud; he was educated; he was loving (wow, was he loving), and he was righteous.

He created careers for young entertainers who didn't have local opportunities to utilize their talents. Just ask operatic singer Angel Pablo or banjo picker Tokyo Joe. He also helped seasoned entertainers who were down on their luck and gave them a showcase until they got back on their feet. Many of them are prominent entertainers today.

Don's entertainment style was so warm and fun-loving that it looked like anyone could do what he did. He made it all look so easy. Don, and only Don, could turn a showroom into a living room and make you sing or tell a joke — and even make you feel happy for paying for those privileges.

Don was envied by the men (in a good way) and adored by the women. He was the jock, the aviator and the lover — and he was handsome. Every Hawaiian male was secretly proud that Don Ho represented the "local boy." They figured that with all the lovely co-eds that he lured here, they would somehow benefit from the overflow of beauties that hopefully would come their way.

Don the entertainer was truly unparalleled. Yet many have forgotten what brought Don to the forefront of the Hawaiian entertainment scene — his singing.

I studied singing with some great coaches on the Mainland who also coached such singers as Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis and others. I bring this up because I'm very attuned to those who define their career by singing. And Don was a very good singer. He always sang in tune, and his phrasing always depicted his emotions without being over-emotional. His timing was perfect, and he surely would have made a cool jazz singer, had he decided to try that route.

Don the political activist always operated under the radar. He personally helped get some of the most important and prominent politicians in Hawai'i's history elected to office. Don would gather his entertainer friends and we'd discuss whom we would like to see in office. Then Don would transport us from island to island, and we would perform benefit concerts at venue after venue and finally end up at Aloha Stadium. With all that entertainment firepower (we're talking about everybody who was anybody in Hawai'i), the candidate of choice would invariably win.

Don the romantic was also unique. All the women in his life, whether they were with him for a day or a lifetime, would always speak lovingly about their "Don Ho encounters."

Don the friend gave me a piece of advice that greatly helped in my quest to make a name for myself in my native Hawai'i. My entertainment roots were on the Mainland, and I had done quite well in San Francisco, New York and Las Vegas, but when I came home in 1970, I had a hard time getting my "Mainland-style" shows off the ground.

Because Don was very supportive of my music, I went to him for advice asking him what I should change. In his own inimitable style he said, "Eh, Jimmy, do what you do best. If the people like you, then you stay here. If they still don't like you then you better go back to San Francisco." That was so funny, but so full of wisdom. With his words always in the back of my mind, I plowed straight ahead and was able to create a wonderful career for myself in my hometown.

I would like to hug him and kiss him one more time, but it's too late for that. Thankfully, we've shared laughs and philosophical points of view over the last 37 years that were always important — but never got in the way of enjoying life itself and living life to the fullest.

I will miss my friend profoundly. He made Hawai'i a better place. He made love the obvious choice, and he helped me in my quest to return home. I'll see you soon, my friend. Aloha.

Jimmy Borges, a Honolulu resident, is a longtime friend of Don Ho and performed with Ho on several occasions over the years. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.