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Quotes
about Bill Tapia...
An inspiration to us all!! Bill is the epitome
of old school wit and panache as a performer..bringing
music wherever he goes loaded with charm. What
a dashing gent he is and how lucky are we to know
him! - Janet Klein
At the tender age of 100 it all comes together
for Bill Tapia...the masterful uke technique,
the delightful singing voice, the wonderful stories,
the great sense of humor, the adoring fans and
the joy of being exactly where he should be.
- Jim
Beloff
Bill is definitely one of the ukulele scene's
greatest icons. His unique style bring a smile
to your face as you watch him perform. I'm so
blessed and honored to know him. - Brittni Paiva
Bill is an inspiration to us all, including me,
an ex-British Invasion rocker on the Mainland.
I have introduced Bill many times at concerts
and have been so pleased that this seeming "old
man" could go on playing till the cows came
home.The other acts on the show just laid down
their ukes and listened spellbound. Even I, who
loves to strum away at saucy comic songs, admitted
defeat and joined the sitters. May Bill go on
entertaining us till eternity and beyond! - Ian Whitcomb
Mr. Tapia, lovingly known to his friends as "Tappy",
is the epitome of a living treasure. Each note
he plays carries with it the maturity of a lifetime
of music made with legends, people like Louis
Armstrong and Billie Holiday. And when he occasionally
"flubs" a note, it contributes more
than it takes away: there's an endearing authenticity
that comes of the sincere effort, borne of love,
that Tappy pours into that li'ili'i (little) fretboard.
And his stories... never was there such an ageless
kolohe (rascal)! When Sinatra sang of the young
at heart, he was singing about Tappy.
- Makana
I remember playing music with Bill at the Hayward
Ukulele Festival. Bill was in his mid 90s at the
time and he joined a little jam session outside
in the courtyard.
Various old tunes were being played until someone
requested "Body and Soul", which is
a very sophisticated number with a lot of difficult
chord changes. Right away Bill said, "Okay,
what key?" He was ready to transpose it and
play it in any key. So we kicked it off and most
of the people jamming along had no idea how to
play all the chords, but Bill called them out
to everyone even while he was taking a solo. This
is an impressive feat for any musician, let alone
someone in their mid 90s. - Robert Armstrong (Artist for the Live at the Warner Grand
concert album)
It's always a joy playing with Bill. He is a
wonderful musician and a great inspiration to
all. I look forward to doing many more concerts
with Bill . What a special person he is!
- Frank De Vito (Drummer at the
Live at the Warner Grand concert)
I think Bill probably holds the record for the
number of years as a professional entertainer.
- Earl Allen
(Guitarist at the Live at the Warner Grand concert)
