"Tony's Kookulele"

The latest addition to my ONE Project. This one features the legendary Tony Corbell - perhaps the nicest guy I've ever met.

Here is Tony's story:

I think I was about ten years old when our dad came home with this very odd looking musical instrument. Officially it is called The Singing Treholipee but in our home we just called it the Kookulele, as it is tuned like a ukulele.

It was made famous on the beaches of Southern California in the Beach Blanket Bingo type movies of the day. If I recall correctly, it came in four colors and ours was pink.

Now 60 years later, it is still in perfect tune and still has the original strings. All of my life from that time forward included the Kookulele in some way. I watched almost in awe as he played and sang 50's and 60's hits and my sister Teri would dance around the room with her eyes closed. I learned ukulele chords from watching him night after night for years.

After I grew up and left home I always looked forward to going for a visit so I could play or better yet, watch him play. I know that when he played that strange looking thing in the evenings in our den my dad seemed to be at his best. I like to think when I play it I too am at my best.

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