Mary Kaye
Encyclopedia
Mary Kaye http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nevada/2007/feb/17/021710613.html, sometimes called the "First Lady of Rock and Roll
", was a guitarist and performer who was active in the 1950s and 1960s. Mary Kaye (born Mary Ka'aihue) descended from Hawaii
an royalty in the line of Queen Liliuokalani, Hawaii's last reigning monarch, and was born into a show business family. She is credited, along with Louis Prima
, as being a founder of the Las Vegas
"lounge" phenomenon: an all-night party atmosphere where stars and common folk rubbed elbows in a freewheeling environment.
Mary Kaye died in a Las Vegas hospital of pulmonary disease on February 17, 2007.
" was the first custom guitar out of the Fender Custom Shop. A Maple Neck Swamp Ash blond 1954 Fender Stratocaster guitar, the Mary Kaye model, is one of the most expensive and highly collectable guitars in the world. Only a few were produced in 1954, but the color has been re-introduced to the Fender line after the strong international demand for the Mary Kaye color scheme. A limited series Mary Kaye Tribute Strat was issued in 2005 for the 50th Anniversary of the Stratocaster. It can be seen in the 2005 Fender Frontline Catalog along with her personal history as interviewed by Fender.The MK Strat Story at http://www.fender.com/news/index.php?display_article=168
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
", was a guitarist and performer who was active in the 1950s and 1960s. Mary Kaye (born Mary Ka'aihue) descended from Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an royalty in the line of Queen Liliuokalani, Hawaii's last reigning monarch, and was born into a show business family. She is credited, along with Louis Prima
Louis Prima
Louis Prima was a Sicilian American singer, actor, songwriter, and trumpeter. Prima rode the musical trends of his time, starting with his seven-piece New Orleans style jazz band in the 1920s, then successively leading a swing combo in the 1930s, a big band in the 1940s, a Vegas lounge act in the...
, as being a founder of the Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
"lounge" phenomenon: an all-night party atmosphere where stars and common folk rubbed elbows in a freewheeling environment.
Mary Kaye died in a Las Vegas hospital of pulmonary disease on February 17, 2007.
The Guitar
Mary was photographed with her combo, the Mary Kaye Trio, in a 1956 Fender promotional advertisement featuring a new Stratocaster electric guitar. This ash blonde guitar with maple neck and gold hardware later became popularly known as "The Mary Kaye StratStrat
Strat can refer to:* Fender Stratocaster* Strategy...
" was the first custom guitar out of the Fender Custom Shop. A Maple Neck Swamp Ash blond 1954 Fender Stratocaster guitar, the Mary Kaye model, is one of the most expensive and highly collectable guitars in the world. Only a few were produced in 1954, but the color has been re-introduced to the Fender line after the strong international demand for the Mary Kaye color scheme. A limited series Mary Kaye Tribute Strat was issued in 2005 for the 50th Anniversary of the Stratocaster. It can be seen in the 2005 Fender Frontline Catalog along with her personal history as interviewed by Fender.The MK Strat Story at http://www.fender.com/news/index.php?display_article=168