Award Winning Singer Dennis Pavao Is Dead At 50

Award-winning singer Dennis Pavao died on Friday. Pavao, who was known for his falsetto voice had been in a coma at Maui Memorial Hospital.

Pavao was admitted to the hospital last week, after suffering a stroke. With his passing, Hawaii has lost one of the finest local falsetto singers of our time.

This is the sweet, trembling falsetto voice Dennis Pavao used to soothe audiences since he was 15 years old. Pavao first made his mark on the music scene as member of the Big Island trio, Hui Ohana, a band he formed with his two cousins when they were all still in high school.

During a career that spanned more than three decades, Pavao performed for audiences from Washington, D.C. to Japan. He moved to Maui in 1987 to continue song writing and performing.

1987 is the same year Pavao earned the Na Hoku Hanohano award for male vocalist of the year.

Longtime local songwriter and musician Keith Haugen wrote of Pavao: "although the history of falsetto singing in Hawai`i is shrouded in mystery, there is no secret about Dennis Pavao's role in making it popular again in this generation, and helping ensure that falsetto and Dennis Pavao have a page in Hawai`i's musical history."

Dennis Pavao is survived by his wife, Leialoha and their six children. He was 50 years old.