{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Bill "Tappy" Tapia | image = Uncle_Bill_Tapia_in_2007.png | caption = Uncle Bill "Tappy" Tapia in 2007 | image_size = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels --> | birth_name = Louis William Tapia | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date|1908|1|1|mf=y}} | birth_place = Sapporo, Hokkaido, Empire of Japan | origin = Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2011|12|02|1908|01|01}} | death_place = Westminster, California, U.S. | genre = Jazz, Hawaiians | occupation = Singer, musician | years_active = 1918–2011 | associated_acts = Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Elvis Presley | website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20080512085636/http://www.billtapia.com/ BillTapia.com] }}
'''Louis William Tapia''' (January 1, 1908 – December 2, 2011), known as "Uncle Bill" and "Tappy", was an American musician, born to Portuguese parents. At age 8, Tapia was already a professional musician, playing "Stars and Stripes Forever" for World War I troops in Hawaii.
In his long career beginning in vaudeville and quickly expanding as a jazz guitarist and ukulele player he performed with names such as Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Elvis Presley and Hawaiian musicians such as King Bennie Nawahi, Sol Hoʻopiʻi, and Andy Iona.
The Chiang & Coates documentary "To You, Sweetheart, Aloha" was created to celebrate 94 year old Tapia's life.<ref>TO YOU SWEETHEART, ALOHA (©2006 Walking Iris Films)</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Chiang & Coats |title=To You Sweetheart, Aloha |url=http://sweetheartaloha.com/index.html |website=To You Sweetheart, Aloha |access-date=2 August 2021}}</ref>
Tapia was an associate of Sonny Cunha and played with the Johnny Noble Band at the opening of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in 1927. He taught Shirley Temple and Clark Gable to strum the ukulele. He was also the ukulele player on Bing Crosy's hit "Blue Hawaii."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Whitcomb |first1=Ian |title=Ukulele Heroes: The Golden Age |date=2012 |publisher=Hal Leonard Books |location=Milwaukee, WI |isbn=978-1-4584-1654-4 |page=140}}</ref> Despite his long life, Tapia did not record any music until 2004 when he put out his first CD at the age of 96. On March 23, 2004, he provided a detailed interview for the NAMM Oral History Program collection about his impressive career and life in music. He recalled designing several instruments for many of his luthier friends as well as improvement and adjustments to the uke he had over the years.
Bill Topia performed on Visiting with Huell Howser Season 13 Episode 3 "Ukulele Man" , which aired January 15, 2006 when Bill was 97.
He continued to perform and record at an advanced age, all the while remaining in vigorous health and driving a car until his 100th birthday when he began suffering eyesight problems.
Tapia was a featured performer in ''Mighty Uke: The Amazing Comeback of a Musical Underdog'', a 2010 documentary on the ukulele. In 2011, he was awarded The Academy of Recording Arts Lifetime Achievement Award.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kanahele |first1=George S. |title=Hawaiian Music & Musicians |date=2012 |publisher=Mutual Publisher |isbn=978-1-5664-7967-7 |page=854}}</ref>
Tapia died in his sleep on December 2, 2011, a month short of turning 104.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna45530825 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111204052154/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45530825/ns/today-entertainment/#.Ttl2WWNR4-k |url-status=live |archive-date=December 4, 2011 |title=Ukulele legend Bill Tapia dies at 103 - Entertainment - Music |publisher=MSNBC |date=November 28, 2011 |access-date=December 3, 2011}}</ref>
== Discography == * Tropical Swing, 2004 * Duke of Uke, 2005 * Livin' It Live, 2009 * Young at Heart: Japan Live, 2009 * Live Warner Grand Theatre: 100th Birthday Concert, 2009
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Bill Tapia}} *[http://hawaiianconcertguide.com/hawaiian_concert_guide_show_129_wala_au_with_bill_tapia_part_i Interview with Uncle Bill Tapia – Part I] – Free internet podcast featuring interview with Uncle Bill Tapia (part 1). *[http://hawaiianconcertguide.com/hawaiian_concert_guide_show_130_wala_au_with_bill_tapia_part_ii Interview with Uncle Bill Tapia – Part II] – Free internet podcast featuring interview with Uncle Bill Tapia (part 2). *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080512085636/http://www.billtapia.com/ Uncle Bill Tapia Official Home Page] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080827185648/http://www.walking-iris.com/sweetheartaloha/docs/TYSA_OCReg.html Brief article on the life of Bill Tapia] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080401102333/http://www.walking-iris.com/sweetheartaloha/ Award-winning PBS documentary film about Bill Tapia: "To You Sweetheart, Aloha"] *[https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/william-tapia Interview with Bill Tapia] NAMM Oral History Library (2004)
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tapia, Bill}} Category:1908 births Category:2011 deaths Category:American men centenarians Category:Musicians from Honolulu Category:American people of Portuguese descent Category:Ukulele players from Hawaii Category:Mountain Apple Company artists
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