The Honolulu Advertiser from Honolulu, Hawaii • 54

rp DWIGHT HO The Father He Knew "We had to give him up to the rest of the world, rather than give half and keep half for us to enjoy, so everybody can enjoy him.1 DWIGHT HO I Don Ho's son, 46 BY WAYNE HARADA Advertiser Entertainment Writer wight Ho is the spitting image of his dad. But the youngest of Don Ho's children from his first marriage is far from a chip off the of block. "I don't really sing," said Dwight, 46, whose features mirror a younger version of his celebrity father. "But I am hard of hearing (in one ear) like my dad." He avoided show biz and the spotlight and has pursued a career in business for years, now serving as vice president and general manager of Beylik Drilling and Pump Inc. "I work a lot of hours.

I'm like the black sheep of the family," he mused. Regulars at the Don Ho Show recall a vintage black-and-white video that has been a sentimental favorite for years. In it, Ho sings his classic "The Days of My Youth," one of his trademark hits, penned by the late Kui Lee. The footage features an innocent child, romping around. That was Dwight, perhaps age 5.

(To see the footage, go to honolu luadvertiser.com) He's blurry about those precious moments. As a little boy, he was unfazed by the presence of cameras, but Dwight savors the impact it has provided to legions of Ho fans. Dwight shared warm memories of his time with his father, and a revelation or two. Q. What do you remember about that video? A.

We filmed on Maui, when Dad was doing those Kraft TV specials. We flew there every morning, for a couple of months. Caught a double-engine plane. I might have been 5. There were i ft Ho family photo From right, Don Ho with daughter Donalei, first wife Melvamay Ho, and son Dwight at Kamehameha Schools, where Donalei was Lei Day queen.

other shows shot at Kamokila Campbell's (estate). I remember an "I Dream of Jeannie." Q. What was your reaction seeing the footage as an adult? A. I felt lucky. Filled with pride.

I got to do these things with my father. Q. You said you shun the spotlight, that you are very un-showbizzy. Why? A. I'm a very private person.

Very much in the background. I always enjoyed being a support person. Those TV things were all candid shots. Not like I was given a mike and stuff. They just shot.

Q. When did you acknowledge your life was different from your friends'? A. We grew up knowing that the work my father did meant he was in a different world. My mother instilled in us to love Dad, no matter what. We loved him, there was no question about it.

But life was definitely different. Q. How so? A. We grew up with him being who he was. A celebrity.

We had the privilege of meeting a lot of famous people; but they were just people, you know, when you're a kid. We grew up as normal, but we suspected things 4 Saturday, May 5, 2007 Ik Honolulu Advertiser.