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."
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]
1999-2001
Hoku's debut single "Another Dumb Blonde", was certified GOLD, 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. She also performed as a top billing performer in all of the Radio Disney Live! 2001 World Tour concerts across the United States.
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 was featured in both JCPenney and Sandals Resorts commercials.
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.
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 new album is slated for release in early fall 2008.
Discography
Albums
| Year |
Album |
Status |
Chart Performance |
| 2000 |
Hoku |
|
Billboard US Charts #151 |
| 2008 |
Listen Up |
|
|
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 |
Soundtracks
Filmography
Film
Television
Commercials
| Product |
Note |
| Twix candy bar |
As singer |
| Bongo Clothing |
As model/singer |
Notes
- ^ From Don Ho's website
- ^ Star Bulletin article
External links
 1/28/08&videoType=YouTube&summary=Technical analysis of HOKU&link=http://www.youtube.com/v/8-rffMBW7PI&fs=1&source=uds&autoplay=1&thumb=http://img.youtube.com/vi/8-rffMBW7PI/2.jpg&celebrity=Hoku)
