Hoku
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| Hoku | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Hōkū Christian Ho |
| Born | June 10, 1981 |
| Origin | Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi |
| Genre(s) | Pop, Rock, Soul |
| Occupation(s) | Actress and singer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Label(s) | Interscope/Geffen, Ola Vista Records |
Hōkū Christian Ho (born June 10, 1981), known simply as Hoku, is an American musician, songwriter, and actress. A daughter of noted Hawaiian entertainer Don Ho, her most popular singles are "Another Dumb Blonde", "How Do I Feel" and "Perfect Day."
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[edit] Early life
Hoku, whose name means "star" in Hawaiian, was born on the island of Oʻahu in the state of Hawaiʻi, to Don Ho and Patti Swallie, who used to sing in his show. (Don, 50 years old at the time of Hoku's birth, already had eight other children...including Don Jr. and the late Dayna Ho.)[1] This union produced one other daughter, Kaimana Grace.[2] She is of European, Polynesian and Asian American ancestry: Chinese, Hawaiian, Portuguese, Dutch and German descent on her father's side and Hawaiian, Caucasian and Filipino American descent on her mother's side.
Hoku attended La Pietra: Hawaiʻi School for Girls in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi and studied business at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California. [1]
[edit] 1999-2001
Hoku's debut single "Another Dumb Blonde", appeared on the soundtrack to the movie Snow Day and also in the Total Request Live Top 10. She later appeared on a Nickelodeon special with many other stars, such as Britney Spears, 'N Sync, Sean Combs, and Aaron Carter.
In 2000, she released her self-titled, debut album. In 2001 she recorded the song "Perfect Day", which was used as the theme song to the feature film Legally Blonde. This song is sometimes featured in JCPenney commercials advertising clearance sales.
However, Hoku soon parted ways with her label, Geffen Records, because she didn't want the image, which she felt went against her beliefs, that the company created for her. Hoku decided to take a break from the music industry and was not heard from for five years.
[edit] 2006 and beyond
Hoku now lives in Orange County, California, with her husband Jeremy Clements. She would often return to Hawaii and perform with her musician father, at his Don Ho Show at the Waikīkī Beachcomber Hotel in Honolulu, until his death in 2007.
Her song "Perfect Day" gained recognition recently when J.C. Penney and Sandals Resorts used the song for a series of television advertisements. Soon after, rumors began to spread that Hoku was recording a second album. These rumors have been confirmed seeing as how Hoku is now signed to Ola Vista Records. Hoku has stated that she is ready to make a comeback into the music industry. This was marked by the release of Listen Up, a 5-song EP. Song titles include, "If You Don't Want My Love", "Saturday Morning", "All I Need", "Closer", and "Listen Up".
Her album is slated for release in late summer 2008. Its first single is titled "It's Who I Am", and will be released to radio in early June 2008, along with its music video's MTV premiere. Hoku has stated that she is re-recording "Perfect Day" for the album, since it was never officially released on an album, other than a movie soundtrack.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Album | Status | Chart Performance |
| 2000 | Hoku | Billboard US Charts #151 | |
| 2008 | Listen Up |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Song | Status | Chart Performance |
| 2000 | "Another Dumb Blonde" | Certified Gold | Billboard US Charts #27 |
| 2000 | "How Do I Feel" | Billboard US Charts #36 | |
| 2001 | "Perfect Day" | Billboard US Charts #121 Billboard US Bubbling Under #21 |
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| 2008 | "It's Who I Am" |
[edit] Soundtracks
| Year | Song | Movie |
| 2001 | "Another Dumb Blonde" | Snow Day |
| 2001 | "Perfect Day" | Legally Blonde |
| 2003 | "Summer's On" | Arizona Summer |
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Film
| Year | Movie | Role |
| 2002 | Nancy Drew | Bitsy |
| 2003 | Arizona Summer | Shawn |
[edit] Television
| Year | Show | Note |
| 2000 | 98 Degrees and Hōkū in Concert | A Disney Channel TV Special |
| 2000 | In a Heartbeat | As herself in Episode 1.9 "A Night to Remember", October 14, 2000 |
| 2001 | World Music Awards | As a performer |
[edit] Commercials
| Product | Note |
| Twix candy bar | As singer |
| Bongo Clothing | As model/singer |
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Hoku at MySpace
- Hoku at the Internet Movie Database
- TV.com
