Bill Wolfgramm
Encyclopedia
Bill Wolfgramm is a musician specialising in lap steel guitar
and popular Hawaiian music. He was born in the island kingdom of Tonga and is also of German
descent. He is the former leader of Bill Wolfgramm & His Islanders, a popular island band in New Zealand
that played regularly at the Orange Ballroom, a historic dance venue in Auckland
.
A big draw card on the live music scene, he was also a major recording star in New Zealand during the 1950s. He is also the uncle of the Wolfgramm family in the USA who formed the band The Jets
.
he was a recording star on the New Zealand Viking Records
label.
Steel guitar
Steel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
and popular Hawaiian music. He was born in the island kingdom of Tonga and is also of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
descent. He is the former leader of Bill Wolfgramm & His Islanders, a popular island band in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
that played regularly at the Orange Ballroom, a historic dance venue in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
.
A big draw card on the live music scene, he was also a major recording star in New Zealand during the 1950s. He is also the uncle of the Wolfgramm family in the USA who formed the band The Jets
The Jets (band)
The Jets are a family band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, composed of brothers and sisters who specialize in pop, R&B, and dance music, particularly Latin freestyle.The group officially formed in 1985, with the original lineup fizzling out by 1990...
.
Viking Records
Along with fellow Tongan Bill SevesiBill Sevesi
Bill Sevesi QSM is a musician and master of the steel guitar who helped popularise Hawaiian style music in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands....
he was a recording star on the New Zealand Viking Records
Viking Records
Viking Records was an independent and prominent record label that featured many New Zealand and Polynesian recording artists.-Background:In the 1960s, the company was the largest locally owned record label in the South Pacific with its New Zealand head office in Wellington and a branch in Sydney...
label.
Viking discography
- Guitar Sounds of the South Pacific, SPVP 113 (1973) (LP)
- Sounds of Hawaii, SPVP 122 (1973) (LP)