Jay Epae

Jay Epae (7 March 7, 1933 - 25 July, 1994), was a Māori/Hawaiian pop singer from Manaia, Taranaki, New Zealand. He moved to the United States in 1957 to pursue a boxing career, but an injury efficiently ut an end to that. Instead, he became a song writer and singer. His albums were released on the American Mercury label until 1962, when he switched to American Capitol. In 1966, he switched to New Zealand's Viking Records.

His single Putti Putti (the B side of 'Hawaiian Melody, a song written by him and American-Swedish Barbara Hendricks) was a hit in Sweden, Norway and Finland after local pirate radio station Radio Nord* picked it up, and he toured there soon after its release.

In 1966, he wrote a hit single for Maria Dallas called "Tumblin' Down", which won her the Loxene Golden Disk Award.

Author Chris Bourke has posted some great articles on Jay Epae. Head over to http://bluesmokebook.wordpress.com/ to have a look.

*) Actually an offshore, commercial station that operated briefly from 8 March 1961 to 30 June 1962 from a ship, legally anchored in international waters in the Baltic Sea off Stockholm, Sweden.

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