Harry Owens
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Harry Owens (18 April 1902 – 12 December 1986) was an American composer, bandleader and songwriter. Owens was born in O'Neill, Nebraska, and started his band in 1926, when he was booked into the Lafayette Cafe in Los Angeles.
The big turning point in his career came in 1934 with his arrival in Hawaii and his appointment as music director of The Royal Hawaiian Hotel. He set to learning all he could about the local culture by mixing and working with native Hawaiians. He learned many traditional and more modern Hawaiian songs and tunes which he wrote down and orchestrated using Western notation for the first time.ad never been written down before, much less orchestrated. He reorganized the Royal Hawaiians by splitting the band into Hawaiian and haole instrumental sections. His band featured the steel guitar, which had a trademark sound, producing tuneful and rhythmic dance music with a strong Hawaiian flavour. Hilo Hattie was a featured performer with The Royal Hawaiian Hotel Orchestra.
Owens won an Oscar in 1937, writing both music and lyrics of Sweet Leilani, sung by Bing Crosby in the film Waikiki Wedding. The song also appeared (as did Owens) in the 1938 film Cocoanut Grove.
His song Sweet Leilani celebrated the birth of his daughter. In 1949, Owens started to appear regularly on television. He made regular appearances in California, both in person and on television. He established the hapa haole style of Hawaii music (native music as interpreted by foreigners) which was developed by Sonny Cunha and Johnny Noble, and he enjoyed significant commercial success with this style of music-making. Owens is credited with about 300 hapa haole songs, many of which remain popular with musicians playing in this style.
Owens was a great advocate of Hawaii and things Hawaiian. He founded a tourism company and music publishing business. He died in Eugene, Oregon.
