Bennie Nawahi
Toronto Daily Star, July 7 1927
"King" Bennie Nawahi (1899-1985), born in Honolulu, was nicknamed "King of the Ukelele". He also played steel guitar; one of his novelty routines was to play "Turkey in the Straw" on Hawaiian guitar with his feet. He began his recording career in 1928.
In 1935, Nawahi suddenly became blind for no known medical reason. Despite this, he continued to perform well into the 1970s, when he was afflicted by a stroke. He also continued long-distance swimming, travelling the 22 miles from San Pedro, California to Santa Catalina Island in a little over 22 hours.
The AllMusic web site has a biography of Nawahi, and he also appears in the fall 2016 issue of Ukelele magazine. YouTube has a number of his recordings, including "Tickling The Strings" (1929).
Created November 6, 2025.