Although the ukulele has always been popular - even when cast to the grass-skirt ghetto of luaus and limbo contests - the current craze for this instrument has put the four-string cousin of the guitar into the hands of veteran musicians and young hipsters alike. And while there are a handful of books feeding the current uke explosion, this is the first to detail the stage, screen, and recording stars who pioneered the uke - those who predated and made possible its current resurgence.The book begins with how the uke came to the mainland United States from Hawai'i, and the Hawai'ian song craze of 1916-17, fueled by Tim Pan Alley. Profiled stars include Ukulele Ike, Johnny Marvin, Wendell Hall, "e;Wizard of the Strings"e; Roy Smeck, George Formby, Arthur Godfrey, Tessie O'Shea, who was a guest along with the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, and Tiny Tim. Author Ian Whitcomb also describes how, when a British teen idol coming off a Top Ten hit, he took out his secondhand Martin uke and recorded his version of a 1916 novelty called "e;Where Did Robinson Crusoe Go with Friday on Saturday Night?"e; scoring another hit that led him to appearances on Shindig!, Dick Clark's Where the Action Is, and The Pat Boone Show.Ukulele Heroes: The Golden Age is essential for any uke enthusiast, and features a detailed discography and filmography, essential for any student of the art.
