Mainstream – Page 3 – Cat's Ukulele Songs

Write Out Your Performance Songs

June 8, 2015October 18, 2015Pineapple PrincessLeave a comment

A wise ukulele performer once told me that writing out your list of songs is the smartest thing you”ll ever do for a performance. In fact, I bought this person’s book, The Ukulele Entertainer, and it is dog-eared, corner-folded, highlighted, underlined and post-it-ed to the max. It is a well-loved copy! And Ralph Shaw is the author.

This book is full of great anecdotes regarding playing, learning, performing and other aspects of the ukulele such as replacing strings and making ukulele wine. A-hem! I’m serious now! I’ve been fortunate enough to meet Ralph twice at festivals and workshops and I keep forgetting to bring my book for him to sign!

However, I highly recommend his book because it is literally jam-packed with tons of information, tricks, tips and stories. It even has illustrations! You can order it directly from him, also available in E-book form, here: Ralph Shaw’s website.

So one of the reasons I bought it was because it claimed it would show you “How to create a killer set list”. And there is a sort of “belief” that goes along with that idea, where you want to draw your audience in and capture them, then you can do your performance songs, and you can end with a couple of ideas. One idea is to end on a high, with an exciting and happy song, or you can end on a sing-along song that everyone knows, because singing along makes the audience feel good about them selves. For myself, having never busked (and Ralph is a veteran of busking on Granville Island out in BC), I have only used this technique for playing songs at my parent’s house, usually on Labour Day Weekend. They sometimes have a porch full of their cronies after the fireworks, and I entertain them a little bit with just a few songs. A couple I chose because they know every word and I know they enjoy singing along. Others I chose because I know my father will enjoy them and others because I want to show off, just a tiny bit. Those would be the lesser known Hawaiian songs.

My “set list” is on post-its stuck to a piece of paper. And I swap them out periodically. It is made up of songs that I have (most of) the words memorized to. Sometimes, I get the order of the verses mixed up, so that is why I have the first lines and then the numbers 2 and 3 circled under the first song on the right, Peaceful Easy Feeling. My father loves The Eagles, so that is for him. I start out with Peace Like A River, and I read the lines for each verse before I start, because I always mix the order up on those, too. And the pattern for the song is underneath that, which I use as an Intro, and after I play the pattern through once, I’ve got it and can concentrate on my singers-along.

Five Foot Two, I always have some kind of mental block going on there, where I will be telling myself, “I know it starts on C and then there’s a whole bunch of 7th chords….” and that’s as far as I get. So I write out the chord progression so that I can “hear” it when I give it a once through. I don’t have to worry about getting the words right for this one, generally EVERYBODY knows the words and enjoys singing them out in a raucus manner. Lots of fun. Everyone knows the Rollerskate Song and You Are My Sunshine, most people know Dream Baby and You’re Sixteen. I sprinkle the ones they aren’t going to know in between those: Pineapple Princess, Drop Baby and Coconut Island. I save the best for last with Drift Away and Hey Baby, which my hubby knows by heart and sings in the style of DJ Otzi, very loudly. So there’s my high ending.

The best part is: people complimenting my mother on having such a talented daughter! ;-P

Today’s song: PEACEFUL EASY FEELING.

Ukulele Publications

April 20, 2015Pineapple PrincessLeave a comment

The world of ukulele is not limited to information gleaned from individualistic websites. There are actually online publications or e-zines (e-magazines) available. I have paid for a subscription to one and I am quite happy with it.

“Ukulele” looks pretty good. You can check it out here: Ukulele Mag. You can subscribe for 4 yearly issues which are seasonal for $18, mailed to your address. For Canada and international orders, extra shipping charges will be added. They also have an option for you to use your subscription number and mailing info to log in to the site and read your issue online. Regardless, you can sign up for the free e-newsletter and/or read stories on their actual website.

“Ukulele Player” says, “This is Ukulele Player Magazine” above the top banner. It is powered by wordpress. They say they will provide articles, news and reviews on a timely basis. They’ve been active since December 2008 and they profile Artists, review CD’s, and review more technical areas such as gear and luthiers. You can check it out here: Ukulele Player. Their Editor is Mickey Maquire.

Their article style is mostly Question and Answer when interviewing an artist. The complete and total lack of pictures might be a turn off for some readers, but others might like all the extra info provided.

“Ukulele Rhythms” is completely digital, or online only . You can enter your email to sign up to receive a free preview download of one of their issues. Their contributing writers are Sarah Maisel, Kimo Hussey, Craig Chee, Phil Doleman and so many others, Terrance Tan is the Editor. I basically paid for the subscription because of Sarah Maisel and Craig Chee’s involvement because I had just seen them perform at the MUD Festival in Lansing, Michigan, and also I was attracted to the cover art. Their articles and photography are cutting edge and their articles read like you are taking part in a workshop. They also run contests and inform you of giveaways. You can check it out here: Ukulele Rhythms.

Based in Sydney, Australia, Publisher and Editor Cameron Murray runs “Kamuke”, which the claim line says is a “full-colour, hard-copy magazine produced by ukulele players for ukulele players.” A subscription for issues 8, 9, 10 is $25 AU (Australian dollars), or you can buy any issue you want for 8 bucks.They also offer Romero Creations ukes, and uke-shaped earings and HD strings under Strings n’ Things. Oh yeah, and 10 dollar Kamuke t-shirts with a pin-up girl on the back of them. It looks pretty good coming from the land down unda. Check it out here: Australia.

And here’s a contribution from the UK. A website called “Ukuke”, with the second K turned backwards to look like mirror-image. This site was erected by Ray Shakeshaft, one of the original internet pioneers from back in the day. Here is the Magazine section of the website, and it’s FREE: Ukuke. You will find articles on how to start your own uke group, how to start up a ukulele orchestra at your school, etc. The technical side includes, finishes, restringing, building your own uke from a kit, cigar boxes, etc. Many purists value this website as a kind of mecca.

“Ukulele Yes” is a Canadian online magazine by James Hill. He claims the magazine articles focus on technique and teaching tips song arrangements and much more. It’s FREE, yep, all ya have to do is fill in the fields. They also looks for people willing to provide Submissions and there’s a guidelines section. I don’t know how they make any money with a free subscription because they pay contributors fairly well for Feature Articles, song Arrangements, and any teaching tools submitted to Pedagogy Corner. Established in 1976 as an “an Association to promote the teaching and enjoyment of music,” Ukulele Yes! became an international network of ukulele teachers with the common goal of fostering musicianship through ukulele instruction, even though it was shelved in 1981. Today, the resurrection of the magazine is online only but it’s dedication according to the website is: “to promote the teaching and enjoyment of music. While times have changed and methods of communication have multiplied, the importance of music education remains.” Ukulele Yes

The “Fretboard Journal” is interesting. They have the occasional article on Ukulele but it’s mostly guitars and other stringed instruments. Currently they have hard copies of the defunct yet interesting uke magazine, The Ukulele Occasional. They have some good articles online about ukulele, you just have to search: Uke related articles.

It all depends on what you are looking for I think. If you enjoy getting publications in the mail then you don’t have that many choices. If it is information and entertainment you are looking for you can get a lot of that content from various ukulele websites. That being said, I have been enjoying the arrangements in some of them, just as much as at any website, and of course I STILL continue to purchase song books. I just purchased 3 while I was in Hawaii, and right before I left 3 came in the mail from Amazon, and I had picked up a Kala tenor at a local music store, along with 2 uke books. As soon as I got home from my trip I was online again, and ordered the complete Ukulele in the Classroom series off James Hill’s website. My husband is at the point he is making me justify what I am going to use all of these books for, LOL, well you just have to be prepared. Right?

Colbie Caillat

April 19, 2015April 20, 2015Pineapple PrincessLeave a comment

I am going to add a new category, since I already have a separate category for Elvis, and dedicate it to songs by Colbie Caillat.

This is a singer/songwriter from Malibu, California. Her first hit was Bubbly in 2007 at the tender age of 21. Her duet with Jason Mraz, Lucky, earned her a Grammy award. According to her website bio, her father Ken Caillat was a sound engineer who had helped produce two Fleetwood Mac albums: Rumours and Tusk. So it’s safe to say that her family’s involvement in the music industry influenced her early on. It’s no surprise to learn that she often performs Fleetwood Mac’s Go Your Own Way during her concerts.

Recently, Colbie has been romantically linked to Hawaiian musician Jason Kawika Young, the lead guitarist in her band. She is a self-professed sufferer of stage fright. And she appeared in her video for her newest released hit song, Try, completely stripped of make-up. Since the video has gone “viral” as they say, she has become the unofficial spokesperson for inner beauty.

On Friday, May 8 Colbie Caillat will be playing in Toronto at the Sherton Center Toronto Hotel – Grand Ballroom. You can order tickets from here: MTV Artists.

Here are the words to the song Try:

TRY ~ Colbie Callait

Intro: picking patterns 4 times each [Am] [F] [C] [G]

[Am] Put your make-up on, get your nails done, curl your hair

[F] Run the extra mile, keep it slim, so they like [C] you. Do they like [G] you?

[Am] Get your sexy on, don’t be shy girl, take it off

[F] This is what you want, to belong, so they like [C] you. Do they like [G] you?

You don’t have to [Am] try so hard, you don’t have to, [F] give it all away

You just have to [C] get up, get up, get up, get up

You don’t have to [G] change a single thing

You don’t have to [Am] try, try, try, try-iy, You don’t have to [F] try, try, try, try-iy

You don’t have to [C] try, try, try, try-iy, You don’t have to [G] try

You-oo-oo-oo don’t have to [Am] try [F] [C] [G] mmm

[Am] Get your shopping on, at the mall, max your credit cards

[F] You don’t have to choose, buy it all, so they like [C] you. Do they like [G] you?

[Am] Wait a second, why, should you care, what they think of you

[F] When you’re all alone, by yourself, do you like [C] you? Do you like [G] you?

You don’t have to [Am] try so hard, you don’t have to, [F] give it all away

You just have to [C] get up, get up, get up, get up

You don’t have to [G] change a single thing

–

You don’t have to [Am] try so hard, you don’t have to [F] bend until you break

You just have to [C] get up, get up, get up, get up

You don’t have to [G] change a single thing

You don’t have to [Am] try, try, try, try-iy, You don’t have to [F] try, try, try, try-iy

You don’t have to [C] try, try, try, try-iy, You don’t have to [G] try

–

You don’t have to [Am] try, try, try, try-iy, You don’t have to [F] try, try, try, try-iy

You don’t have to [C] try, try, try, try-iy, You don’t have to [G] try

You-oo-oo-oo don’t have to [Am] try [F] [C] Oh [G] mmm

You don’t have to [Am] try so hard, you don’t have to, [F] give it all away

You just have to [C] get up, get up, get up, get up

You don’t have to [G] change a single thing

You don’t have to [Am] try, try, try, try, You don’t have to [F] try, try, try, try

You don’t have to [C] try, You don’t have to [G] try

–

[Am] Take your make-up off, let your hair down, take a deep breath

[F] Look into the mirror, at yourself, don’t you like [C] you?

Cause I like [G] you….!

My Nod to St. Patrick’s Day

March 30, 2015April 24, 2015Pineapple PrincessLeave a comment

Well, Aloha to Saint Paddy, he sure was a brute of a legendary figure, wasn’t he?

During the day the ukulele group played at the Grace United Church for their Irish Stew Supper fundraiser, I heard a couple of stories about St. Patrick. One was that he was enslaved by the Irish nation, and that upon his freedom having become a Christian missionary, he actually returned to the country of his abuse as a Bishop. Til his dying day, I hear.

Extra, extra, read all about it, here: Saint Patrick

In the meantime, we had a couple of places that we played out for St. Patrick’s Day and for one place we needed some extra songs so I sent this one out to the group. Canadian Irish Folk Group, The Irish Rovers, were formed in 1963 and named after the popular Irish song, The Irish Rover. They are best known for their international tv series, popularizing Irish music in North America, The Unicorn Song (written by Shel Silverstein) and Wasn’t That a Party. All of the band members are from Ireland, half of whom now live in Canada. The Irish Rovers have represented Canada at five World Expos.

In 1980 the group re-named themselves “The Rovers” and found success with the chart-topping song, Wasn’t That a Party. But by 1989 they had reverted back to their famous original name, The Irish Rovers. As a high-school student, nothing was cooler than this song, except for maybe I Wear My Sunglasses at Night…..

WASN’T THAT A PARTY

CHORUS:

[C] Could’ve been the whiskey, might’ve been the gin.

Could’ve been the three or four six-packs, I don’t know

But [C7] look at the mess I’m in: my head is like a [F] football,

I think I’m gonna [C] die! Tell me, [G] me oh, me oh my! [STOP]

Wasn’t that a [C] party?

[C] Someone took a grapefruit, wore it like a hat.

I saw someone under my kitchen table

[C7] Talking to my old tom cat – they were talking ‘bout [F] hockey –

The cat was talking [C] back!!!

Long about [G] then every-thing went black! [STOP]

Wasn’t that a [C] party?

CHORUS

BRIDGE:

[C] I’m sure it’s just my [F] memory

Playing tricks on [C] me

But I [D] think I saw my buddy

Cutting [G] down my neighbour’s tree! [STOP]

CHORUS

2^nd BRIDGE:

Billy Joe and [F] Tommy

Well they went a little [C] far

They were [D] sitting in the back yard, blowing on a sireen

From [G] somebody’s police car

So you see, Your [C] Honour, it was all in fun

That little bittie drag meet down on Main Street

Was just to [C7] see if the cops could run

So they run us in to [F] see you, in an alcoholic [C] haze

I sure can [G] use those thirty days [STOP] To re-cover from the [C] party!

CHORUS

ENDING: Wasn’t that a party? Wasn’t that a [C(4)] party? F(4) G7(4) C(1)

Chord Confusion

March 30, 2015April 24, 2015Pineapple PrincessLeave a comment

AHEM!

It has been brought to my attention (via Comments) that I have mistakenly confused one chord for another, and furthermore that I have committed this act in one of my songs in my 2014 song book.

Well, saaaaaah-ah-ah-REEE!!!!

I now realize that some players take their ukulele chords SERIOUSLY and others are just like, laid back, y’know? “It looks like C plus A minor.” “It’s the G7 chord moved over one set of strings to the 4th, 3rd and 2nd.” “I bar everything so I don’t have sore fingers.” And more, oh yes! I have heard alot about how other players get by and get around.

The problem chord is in Drop Baby, Drop. I had it from the MUD4 Festival I attended in Lansing, Michigan last year. They had the chords used as A, Bm, Cm and E7. How was I to know that it was not actually Cm? The chord actually used has been identified as C#m. I did notice when I went looking for chords for Grow Old With You that it was the same key and used the same chords, except for one: C#m. For Drop Baby, Drop I changed it to Bm7 because I never play the 4th string in the 4th fret for the Bm chord. So I just looked up whatever the name would be for barring the second fret, and I got Bm7.

Logically, that would mean that the 4th fret barred would be Cm7, right? Wrong! Oh, so wrong!

THIS is the correct chord to play with Bm in Grow Old With You

Correct Cm — This IS the correct Cm chord. However, this is NOT used in Drop Baby, Drop or Grow Old With You.

Now, herein lies an even bigger source of confusion. Chord charts. They are a uke player’s best friend – or are they? The Kiwi one I am so fond of, has two different names for those chords, and also has a completely different configuration for C#m. Great!

Wrong chord to use, right name and everything though

So, WOW do I ever have a sheepish grin. I just spent a couple of days pouring over chord charts trying to figure them out. The easiest way to insert chords into Drop Baby, Drop is to use D6 and E6. Furthermore, Bm7 and D6 are the same, and E6 and C#m7 are the same as Dbm7. Wow: I just play them as 2nd fret barred and 4th fret barred!

The chords I prefer for Grow Old With You are A, Bm, C#m, D and E.

So the chord charts definitely contribute to chord confusion and chord name confusion.The one I am not using in the future will be Ukulele Chords by Ron Middlebrook. The only useful part of it left is the information for the Intros and Endings. The Kiwi online chord is still my go-to choice for chord boxes.

Sorry everyone! Corrections are underway!

Souvenier Songs

March 23, 2015March 23, 2015Pineapple Princess2 Comments

ALOHA!

We have been back from our 12-day adventure for roughly 2 weeks now. I am still sorting out the pictures on my computer, discarding the crooked, the blurry and the ugly…. and intend to put together some kind of blog posting, or postings, as soon as I can organize my notes and thoughts.

Meanwhile, time is slowly ticking away and I keep thinking about how I need to get a song posted. One of the songs I am most excited about from the trip is from the night we had the group jam. This was an organized ukulele jam held on the first Friday night, and it was referred to as “informal jam”, ha ha! Many of the participants had been asked ahead of time to email 5 or 6 songs to trip organizer Donna Curtis, who then forwarded them to her hubby Harry. Harry and his friend Cheryl, who was also coming on the trip, organized the songs alphabetically into a big document for us to print out and bring with us (or just keep on our tablet).

So one of the songs available was the lyrics to a song by a famous Hawaiian performer called “Willie K” called You Ku’uipo. It was contributed by Sarah and George from Oregon. I really loved it, and was similarly enamoured with Beautiful Kaua’i, which we heard almost every day no matter where we went.

Willie K is credited with the song, but in reality he put music to an already published poem. The song actually started out as a poem written by Gilbert Belmudez, who wrote numerous poems and prose upon moving to the Island of Maui in the 80’s. Belmudez wrote You Ku’uipo to express his love for the beauty of Hawaii, and share his pet name for his new island home, “ku’uipo”, which means “sweetheart”. Eventually Belmudez had to move to mainland USA in 1988 where he began copy-writing and publishing his collection of prose and poetry.

Willie Kahaialii aka Willie K was a famous Hawaiian musician, singer and performer on the island of Maui who also hosts the Maui Blues Festival. He has several international CD’s and recently starred in a movie based on Hawaiian lifestyle called “Get a Job” that won awards at the Detroit Windsor Film Festival. In 1990 Gilbert Belmudez approached Willie K to put music to his poem “You Ku’uipo”, and the rest is history. You can read all about these guys, mostly by Googling them, or you can check out Willie K’s discography and view the movie trailer at his website: Willie K.

Below is the song and I have 2 great Youtube video’s to go with it.

YOU KU’UIPO

Words by Gilbert Belmudez. Music by Willie Kahaialii – “Willie K”, in this key.

Intro: D7, G

On this Island I found the [D7] ways,

To see the beauty in passing [G] days.

Flowers that impel my [D7] love

Moments that some only [G] hear of – [STOP]

Loving under a water-[D7]fall

Hearing the owl’s midnight [G] call

Whispers from the ocean [D7] shell

Whispers that you and I can [G] tell – [STOP]

(Chorus)

And you, Ku’u-[D7]-ipo

Bring these moments to my [G] mind.

For you, Ku’u-[D7]-ipo

Are an Island one of a [C] kind….. [D7]// [STOP]

[tacet] One of a [G] kind.

(Ending: Tag “One of a kind…. Cha Cha Cha)

In this land I found the [D7] ways

To feel the beauty of passing [G] days.

Rainbows jewels of a misty [D7] crown,

Craters covered with a silken [G] gown – [STOP]

││: Stars that always shone so [D7] bright

Scatter throughout the lovely [G] night.

Where true love befell my [D7] soul

True love that came upon a grassy [G] knoll – // [STOP]

(To Chorus)

Loving under a water-[D7]fall

Hearing the owl’s midnight [G] call

Whispers from the ocean [D7] shell

Whispers that you and I can [G] tell :││

(Go straight into “Stars that…”)

(Chorus one last time)

KU’UIPO LIVE RECORDING AT PONO HAWAIIAN GRILL:

KU’UIPO Recorded Song:

OFF TO HAWAII

February 25, 2015Pineapple PrincessLeave a comment

Barb and Cat’s Excellent Adventure is about to begin!

“Air Canada, take me away!!!” Yes, there will be lots of ukulele playing going on, likely every day. First on the itinerary is a meet and greet with Mr. Kimo Hussey on Thursday from 3 to 5. He will be our host for the next 8 days!!! Also on the agenda is a Tuesday morning ukulele workshop with Roy Sakuma and visits to our group from Kody Kiyokawa and Corey Fujimoto.

I promise to post lots and lots of great pictures from our Excellent Adventure once we get back, but for now, this Beach Boys tune will have to suffice!

Aloha!

Another Sandler Original

January 19, 2015Pineapple PrincessLeave a comment

Ha ha ha, please take that title with a grain of salt!! I have no idea if Adam Sandler wrote Forgetful Lucy or not, but the irony is he is singing another love song to exactly the same actress (Drew Barrymore), but in a different movie. It is not the nicest of songs, and its raunchy lines reflect Sandler’s particular brand of campiness, suggesting that he DID write it. If you are familiar with the movie 50 First Dates then this song will make sense to you, if you have never seen it, good luck…

Forgetful Lucy from 50 First Dates by Adam Sandler

The [A] Hukilau was the place

[D6] Where I first saw your face

We [A] liked each other right away

But you [D6] didn’t remember me the very next day!

[E6] Forget-ful Lucy

[D6] Has got a nice caboose-y….

[Stop]

I used to [A] trick you into pulling your car over so we could chat

But my [D6] favourite time was when you beat the shit out of Ula with a bat

[A] Then we drove up to see Doctor Keats

And [D6] found out why Doug always has to change his sheets

[E6] Forget-ful Lucy

[D6] Cracked her head like Gary Busey…..

[Stop]

[A] But I still love her so

[D6] And I’ll never let her go

[A] Even if while I’m singing this song

[D6] She’s wishing I had Jocko the walrus’ schlong

[E6] Forget-ful Lucy

[D6] [Stop] Her lips are so damn juicy……

How ‘bout another First [A] Kiss?

I Wanna Grow Old With You

January 18, 2015January 18, 2015Pineapple PrincessLeave a comment

Well, I already declared it, this is one of my favourite songs, also from my favourite movie, The Wedding Singer (a 1998 movie set in 1985). When I decided this should be the first song I post in 2015 I had to make sure I included Billy Idol’s introduction from the flight scene. It just wouldn’t be the same without it. So I watched the movie scene a few times to get the wording right. Full text below.

Grow Old with You from The Wedding Singer by Adam

INTRO: Billy Idol (Speaking):

Good afternoon everyone.

We’re flying at twenty-six thousand feet, moving up to thirty thousand feet,

and then we’ve got clear skies all the way to Las Vegas.

And right now, we’re bringing you some in-flight entertainment.

One of our First-class passengers would like to sing you a song

inspired by one of our coach passengers.

And since we let our First-class passengers do pretty much whatever they want, here he is.

Adam Sandler:

I wanna [A] make you smile, when-[Bm]ever you’re sad
[C#m] Carry you around when your ar-[D]thritis is bad
[A] All I wanna do, is [E] Grow [D] Old with [A] You [A]

[A] I’ll get your medicine, when your [Bm] tummy aches
[C#m] Build you a fire if the [D]furnace breaks
[A] Oh it could be so nice, [E] growing [D] old with [A] you [A7]

Bridge:

[D] I’ll miss you, kiss you, [A] give you my coat when you are cold
[D] Need you, feed you, [A] I’ll even let you hold the [E] remote control [D]

[A] So let me do the dishes in our [Bm] kitchen sink
[C#m] Put you to bed when you’ve had too [D]much to drink
[A] Oh I could be the man, who [E] grows [D] old with [A] you [A]

(Lower)
[E] I wanna Grow [D] Old with [A] You

Ukulele Roots

January 11, 2015February 8, 2015Pineapple PrincessLeave a comment

When uke players are asked what made them take up this particular instrument, there is invariably some story behind it. “Gag gift” and “inherited” are occasionally reasons. Some people just heard one being played and fell in love with the sound and look of it. Others were already playing musical instruments and when introduced to an ukulele, made the transition for such reasons as ease of play, sound, convenience and enjoyment. Still others found the community of ukulele playing the allure.

I have been told by several individuals, most of them men, that seeing their Hollywood icons playing a uke made them run out to purchase one and start playing. These are stars such as Elvis Presley, George Harrison and Marilyn Monroe – yes, Marilyn!!!! Before them, mainland America was influenced by such greats as George Formby and Arthur Godfrey, even though we had already been enjoying the culture of so-called Hawaiian music since the 1800’s.

For me, my inspiration came from discovering that George Harrison was a uke lover. My high school years were ’79 to ’84 and although the Beatles were no longer together as a band, they were enjoying successful solo careers. I often listened to songs by John Lennon and Wings (Paul McCartney) over the radio. But the entertainment buzz that affected me strongest was about George Harrison and his love for ukuleles, and the fact that this British sensation pop star owned hundreds of acres in far-off Hawaii – the land of ukuleles!

In my little Canadian world of back woods rural Ontario – where country music reigned supreme – I had never even heard the word ukulele before. When I looked it up in the school library, I felt this connection with George Harrison that I had never experienced with anyone or any thing before. It was like I was in on his big secret! And from that moment on, I wanted to play one.

Recently my sister-in-law Liz sent me a link to Open Culture, which had a really great article posted on George Harrison and some video’s of him with a band and with Paul McCartney. I really enjoyed it and here is the link Why Everyone Should Play the Ukulele.

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Now-a-days, “they say” we are experiencing a resurgence of ukulele popularity right now. NOW, our influential stars are performers like Jake Shimabukuro and James Hill, just to throw a couple of familiar names out there, and there are many more colourful and aptly named ukulele performers all over America, the UK, Australia, etc. Playing the ukulele in the 20th century even created some world-famous musical legends, such as IZ – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole – who gained international fame with his recording of Over the Rainbow/Wonderful World.

Bands like Walk Off the Earth – Gang of Rhythm – and Train – Hey, Soul Sister – among many others, have also been immensely successful with the ukulele as well as becoming influential in current music culture. Last year I discovered Lucky Uke, another Canadian band, who have actually recorded a song with Colby Callait called Please, Please Stay. Love it!!

Other famous people of our day who play the ukulele include Zooey Deshanel, who performs regularly in her duo She & Him, William H. Macy (the movie Wild Hogs, among others) who performed once on Oprah, Steve Martin in the movie the Jerk, and one of my faves, Dwayne Johnson aka the Rock, who played What a Wonderful World in the movie Journey to the Center of the Earth. And Adam Sandler! I have to admit, YES, I am a Sandler fan, and I think that guy has either played a ukulele in every one of his movies or at least held one. I loved his song Forgetful Lucy in the movie 50 First Dates, but my favourite is the Billy-Idol-introduced Grow Old With You from The Wedding Singer, which any good child of the ’80’s can play by memory on a uke!