Johnny Noble
Johnny Noble was a prominent Hawaiian composer and musician, celebrated for his unique ability to blend traditional Hawaiian music with popular mainland styles such as jazz and swing. Born John Avery Noble in Honolulu in 1892, he displayed musical talent from an early age, playing both drums and piano. His career began in local bands and orchestras, leading to his role as the leader of the Moana Hotel Orchestra in 1920, where he composed notable songs including "Hula Blues" and "Sing Me a Song of Hawaii."
Noble earned the nickname "Hawaii's Jazz King" due to his innovative hapa haole style, which infused jazz rhythms into Hawaiian melodies, making them appealing for popular dance forms like the Lindy Hop. His music gained national recognition, appearing on popular television shows and contributing to the Hawaiian music scene during a transformative era in the recording industry. Notably, he was the first Hawaiian composer to join the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) in 1935. Through his work, Noble created a musical bridge that connected Hawaiian culture with the broader American musical landscape, leaving a lasting impact on both genres.
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Subject Terms
Johnny Noble
Musician
- Born: September 17, 1892
- Place of Birth: Honolulu, Hawaii
- Died: January 13, 1944
- Place of Death: Honolulu, Hawaii
A skilled musician and arranger, Noble was one of the premier Hawaiian composers of the early and mid-twentieth century. He was nicknamed Hawaii’s Jazz King for his many compositions that fused traditional Hawaiian songs with musical styles popular in the mainland United States, including jazz and swing.
Area of achievement: Music
Early Life
John Avery Noble was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, then a United States territory, in 1892. He learned to play the drums and piano at a young age and was also known for his talent for whistling, which earned him tips along his paper delivery route. He graduated in 1911 from the Saint Louis School in Honolulu and became a drummer and pianist for various local bands and orchestras, including the band led by noted composer and bandleader Sonny Cunha. He joined the Moana Hotel Orchestra in 1919.
Life’s Work
In 1920, Noble became the leader of the Moana Hotel Orchestra and also composed “Hula Blues,” his first hit song. He went on to compose numerous hits, including “Sing Me a Song of Hawaii” (1930), “My Little Grass Shack in Kealakekua Hawaii” (1933), and “I Want to Learn to Speak Hawaiian” (1935). Noble was known especially for his use of the hapa haole (part Caucasian) style, infusing traditional Hawaiian songs with jazz and swing beats that made them suitable accompaniments for dances such as the Lindy Hop or fox-trot. Many of his songs were later featured on television shows such as Hawaii Five-O and I Love Lucy.
Noble later served as the director of entertainment for a group of Hawaiian hotels and also produced Hawaiian-themed radio programs on the mainland. In 1935, he became the first Hawaiian composer to join the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).
Significance
Noble’s career as a composer, musician, and orchestra leader spanned a period of great change in the recording industry, with his Moana Hotel Orchestra becoming one of the first Hawaiian groups to record music using electrical recording technology. His music represented a bridge between the traditional hula music of Hawaii and the popular swing and jazz dance music of the mainland, a fusion that proved quite successful throughout the United States.
Bibliography
Hopkins, Jerry. The Hula. Rev ed. Ed. Amy K. Stillman. Honolulu: Bess, 2011. Print.
"Johnny Noble." Discography of American Historical Recordings, adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/mastertalent/detail/109361/Noble‗Johnny. Accessed 21 Aug. 2024.
Keany, Michael. “100 Years of Hawaiian Music.” Honolulu Magazine. Honolulu Magazine, Nov. 2010. Web. 2 Mar. 2012.
Noble, Gurre Ploner. Hula Blues: The Story of Johnny Noble. Honolulu: Tongg, 1948. Print.