Bill Tapia: Duke of Uke
When the Royal Hawaiian Hotel opened for business in March 1927, guests enjoyed the sounds of the hotel orchestra in the Monarch Room. The ukulele player in the band was a 21-year-old named Bill Tapia, who learned how to play the uke after buying one at the age of seven from Manuel Nunes, one of the very first ukulele makers on earth (Nunes ukes are worth a fortune today.)
Bill Tapia is 97, and he still gives lessons and plays the ukulele in clubs around Southern California. I've had the pleasure of twices seeing the dapper and happy Tapia perform.
This CD, the Duke of Uke, has songs recorded recently and in 1936. They music is sweet and jazzy, as all uke music should be. $16.99 on Amazon
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1927-21 = 1906
He should be no younger than 99 right now. (Sorry to nitpick.)