Two legends to be inducted into Ukulele Hall of Fame

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Two beloved local musicians will be inducted into the Ukulele Hall of Fame next month.

Benny Chong, 83, and Byron Yasui, 85, will be inducted on Sunday, July 12, during the International Ukulele Festival of Hawaii at Kapiolani Park.

The festival is free and open to the public. The ceremony takes place at 1:50 p.m. at the bandstand.

“These two honored elders, whose lives, creativity and inspiration have had a profound impact on musicians across many generations, are living sources of Hawaiian culture and musical wisdom,” said Paul Syphers, president of the Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum. “We are proud to honor their lifetime pursuit of excellence in music generally, and the ukulele in particular.”

Chong achieved success as both an ukulele player and a guitarist, most notably as a founding member of the Aliis with Don Ho. He released his first full-length CD, Jazz Ukulele, in 2005, and is known for his improvisational skills and unexpected chord progressions.

Yasui was initially a bass player and classical guitarist, playing for decades with the Honolulu and Hawaii symphony orchestras. In 2015, the University of Hawaii professor emeritus of composition and theory composed one of the few orchestral works for ukulele, “Concerto for Ukulele and Orchestra,” featuring Jake Shimabukuro as soloist.

The Hall of Fame staged its first induction ceremony in 1997, when King David Kalakaua became its inaugural member.

Chong and Yasui will join past honorees:

• 1997: King David Kalākaua
• 1998: Ernest Kaʻai; Manuel Nunes; Roy Smeck
• 2000: May Singhi Breen; Cliff “ʻUkulele Ike” Edwards; Samuel Kamaka Sr.
• 2001: Arthur Godfrey; Eddie Kamae
• 2002: Jesse Kalima; Jonah Kumalae
• 2003: Augusto Dias; Johnny Marvin; José do Espírito Santo
• 2004: Bill Tapia; George Formby
• 2006: Frank Henry Martin; Herb Ohta Sr.
• 2007: Lyle Ritz
• 2012: Samuel Kamaka Jr.; Fred Kamaka Sr.
• 2024: Roy Sakuma
• 2025: Israel Kamakawiwoʻole; John King