Palakiko "Frank" Ferera was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on June 12, 1885. Honored as one of the pioneers of the Hawaiian steel guitar, Ferera is credited to bringing the Hawaiian steel guitar sound to the United States. At 17 Frank left Honolulu to pursue his dreams of becoming a musician and got the opportunity to perform at the Panama Pacific Exhibit held in San Francisco in 1914. Ferera's performance caught the eye of Thomas Edison as he performed under the name "Palakiko Ferreira". He impressed Edison so much that Ferera was featured on the cover of "Edison Photograph Monthly." Ferera met his second wife, Helen Louise, who was also a musician and they became a vaudeville act, performing Hawaiian music. In July of 1915 they made their recording debut with Columbia Records. An unfortunate accident took place in 1919 when the couple was on a ship traveling from Los Angles to San Francisco. Helen left her room and disappeared, never to be found again. After the loss of his wife, Ferera replaced her with another musician, Anthony Franchini, and the two continued making Hawaiian recordings. Frank Ferera was inducted into the Royal Hawaiian Steel Guitar Hall of Fame and died on June 26, 1951.
Todaro, Tony. Golden Years of Hawaiian Entertainment. Honolulu: Tony Todaro Publishing Co, 1974. (Page 116).
Melody Lasalle, "Frank Ferreira: Bringing The Aloha Sound to the World" Island Routes.
http://www.yourislandroutes.com/articles/profileferreira.shtml (Accessed November 10, 2010)
HistoryLink.org. "Hawaiian Music and its Historic Seattle Connection".
http://historylink.org/?keyword=hawaiian+music+and+its+historic+seattle+connection&DisplayPage=results.cfm&Submit=Go (Accessed November 9, 2010).
Songs
- One, Two, Three, Four, Ferera and Franchini
- Pua Carnation, Ferera and Franchini
- Sweet Hawaiian Girl Of Mine, Ferera, Franchini and Green
- Honolulu Honey, Ferera, Franchini and Green
- Honolulu Bay, Ferara and Franchini
- Dreamy Hawaii, Ferera and Franchini
- Drowsy Waters, Ferera and Franchini
- Hawaiian Twilight, Ferera and Franchini
- Garden of Dreams in Alohaland, Frank Ferera's Hawaiians
- Together, Frank Ferera's Hawaiians
- Back To Hawaii And Me, Frank Ferera's Hawaiians
- My Blue Heaven, Frank Ferera's Hawaiians
- Under The South Sea Palms, Ferera's Hawaiian Quartette
- Hawaiian Nightingale, Ferera and Franchini
- Honolulu Honeymoon, Ferera and Franchini
- Moana Chimes, Ferera's Hawaiian Quartette
- Palakiko Blues, Ferera and Franchini
- Southern Blues, Ferera and Paaluhi
- The St. Louis Blues, Ferera and Paaluhi
- Drowsy Head-Medley Waltz, Frank Ferera, Anthony Franchini
- Hawaiian Hula Medley, Frank Ferera
- Maui Waltz, Frank Ferrera
- Isle of Paradise-Medley Waltz, Frank Ferera, Anthony Franchini