Ron Jacobs

Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities Pavilion
Sunday May 6, 1:00 p.m.
Presenting in the Rock ‘n’ Roll event with Ed Kanoi and John Berger. The panel will discuss the evolution of Rock ‘n’ Roll in Hawaii, from Elvis Presley’s first concerts in 1957 to the establishment of K-POI as the first radio station in Hawaii to showcase rock in a Top 40s format. The panel will cover the modern Rock ‘n’ Roll scene as well, from headline performers who venture to Hawaii for concerts (virtually every musician from the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame) to Hawaii natives who become award-winning stars, such as Bruno Mars.

Ron Jacobs turned pro as an all- night DJ at Honoluluʼs KHON radio station, and in 1957 he teamed with Tom Moffatt at the new KHVH station, where the young deejays broke with mainstream traditions by programming a steady stream of rock ʻnʼ roll music. In 1959, he moved on to K-POI, where his astonishing success resulted in a story in Newsweek magazine. In 1962, he moved to California, where he created pop radioʼs most influential sound in the 60s. As vice-president of Watermark, Inc., Jacobs created American Top 40, which became the most widely syndicated radio program in history, produced the award- winning Elvis Presley Story, and released the 13-album series, Cruisinʼ: A History of Rock ʻnʼ Roll Radio. Jacobs has also promoted Hawaiian artists such as Noelani Cypriano, and has been recognized with many local and national awards. He is the author of Obamaland: Who is Barack Obama?, the #1 best-selling nonfiction book in Hawai‘i this century. On July 29, 2012 at the Paliku Theatre, he will perform a one-man show, What Was I Talking About?