Letters from Fans
1999 & earlier
 Foreword from Butch:
"Mahalo" means "thank you" in Hawaiian, but cannot adequately express my gratitude to the nice people who have taken the time to send me compliments about my music or performance. Mahalo no ("Thank you very much")!
Here's a terrific complimentary letter that I found one day in the clutter of my desk:
Re: Butch O'Sullivan
From: Beth DeLong, cabin 356
I must comment on my experience at the Tuesday afternoon tea when Butch was strolling & singing. He was comfortable with his style. He came to this elderly man, who I'd met earlier & apparently had Alzheimer's Disease. The man started singing on his own & Butch just played along with him, not singing and allowing the man to sing this love song to his wife. The man had a beautiful voice and the wife appeared to get a tear in her eye. When he came around again, he did 2 songs with him & harmonized some.
I got chicken skin. This is what the aloha spirit is all about. I've lived on Oahu 35 yrs & know the aloha spirit can't be "bottled" or"packaged" or sold with a bunch of "aloha's" & "mahalo's" alone. It is all aout love, warmth, friendship, & the breath of God. Butch's Aloha spirit added so much to my trip. As I'm sure it has for others. We had several conversations during the week, & I enjoyed a copy of his newsletter.
He played "Sweet Leilani" for 2 ladies after tea time (was over) which I loved -- real Hawaiian time.
I hope Butch will continue to entertain his way: strolling & spreading Aloha to everyone.
This letter was accompanied by a note from the CEO which read as follows:
Butch,
This is a great letter and sums up why we are so proud to have you with us. Not only are you a great entertainer, but you have the aloha which can only come from the heart.
You exude the spirit of aloha we are all trying to achieve.
Jim Rowland was on a cruise and took some ukelele lessons from me onboard. Little did I know that he was a "luthier" -- a craftsman whose hobby is building stringed instruments. He built me a beautiful baritone ukelele -- a true work of art that I treasure. To Jim... a special mahalo.
Aloha Butterfly:
To save you the trouble of wracking your brain to figure out who is writing to you, I'll begin by saying that I am a recent Ukulele student who is also a string enthusiast and builder. You may remember that I offered to build an instrument for you.
To bring you up-to-date, I am preparing to begin and have assembled enough materials and information to take a gainly run at producing a playable instrument. A slight deviation from the original plan..the first effort will be a baratone ukulele instead of a tenor. The reason is, that this is the first plan available to me. We'll try the tenor and perhaps some five strings later. I have acquired a plan designed by Julian Barton, a well-known luthier and repairman, which will incorporate a sitka top and mahogany neck and body with rosewood fingerboard and bridge. I have enquired after koa for the tenor instrument and am waiting for a couple of catalogues. It seems that most types of Koa are readily available, except for the spalted, which is extremely rare.
A great deal of useful information has been made available by David Hurd at his Kawika website. He is a most artistic, resourceful and generous fellow, and shares a lot of knowledge concerning jigs, procedures and processes which he has developed over the years.
On a personal note, I hope all is going well for you. You are one of the most talented and dedicated artists I have met, and I have been hanging around musicians, bigtime and local for forty years.
That's about it. It will be a few weeks before I have anything to send you as some of the work, particularly the finishing, go rather slowly. I hope it plays and sounds great.
Until later,
Jim Rowland
On 10 Oct 98, Craig E. Burgess, a poet from Audubon, NJ, was one of the passengers aboard the S.S. Independence. He enjoyed his vacation trip and my music so much, he later wrote me a letter...that included a poem for me. What a fantastic accollade for my work!
To learn more about Craig Burgess, go to Craig Burgess, International Poetry Hall of Fame.
Aloha from the state of New Jersey. I have just returned from the fabulous week-long cruise and wanted to share a special poem that I wrote as a "salute" to you and your work. After disembarking on Saturday morning, I walked over to the Aloha Tower Shopping Plaza and, between 10:00 am and 11:30 am, composed the selection, A SALUTE TO BUTCH O'SULLIVAN. I hope that you enoy reading it and that you feel that I have captured the "spirit" of what you do on board the S.S. INDEPENDENCE as a singer, a musician AND a person...
A SALUTE TO BUTCH O'SULLIVAN
I was sailing on the S.S. Independence
On a 7-day, 4 island trip.
As a member of the Holokai Hui Club,
I was one of the first on board ship,
Spending more than an hour in the Kama`aina Lounge
Enjoying a concert in song
Performed by a talented musician ---
I could have listened to his voice all day long.
Butch O'Sullivan is the name of this singer
Who welcomed the passengers that day.
His talents as a singer and guitarrist
Made us all feel at home right away.
As he took us on a musical journey
To the islands of Hawaii, and beyond,
While extending the Spirit of Aloha ---
Of his music we became very fond.
All week long he appeared on the Cruise Ship ---
From the Surfrider Bar and the pool
To the Captain's Gala Reception ---
Entertaining like a sparkling jewel,
With a range from bass to falsetto
And a repertoire rich and diverse;
Each performance created fond memories
As his songs through the ship did traverse.
I discovered we had something in common,
This talented singer and I;
We both use an image from Nature ---
The delicate, yet strong, butterfly ---
As we talk about lifetime adventures
That have lifted our spirits on high,
Sharing, in song and in poetry,
The joys that make our spirits fly
Butch OSullivan is special performer,
One who takes life right in stride
As he entertains both friends and tourists,
With a little "talk story" on the side.
Mahalo, Butch, for the memories
That helped make my cruise week complete.
As a writer and teacher, I salute you!
I'm so pleased that on board we did meet.
Craig E. Burgess
Educator and Poet
A letter from Katie Peebles of Waltham, MA. She's one of my beloved "Grade A" fans -- and also a long-time friend. The event she talks of is a "mini-concert" I performed at "Dark Thirty" in San Diego, California in December 1998. She flew cross-country just to be at this event. Talk about a hard-core fan!
Dear Butch,
Back home after the best long weekend I've had in years. Seeing and hearing Butch was of course the highlight, but I went on to San Diego, the city where I was married during the war, and had many wonderful moments remembering what it was like when I was young and love was new.
You know, it'a funny, but whenever I write to Butch, I'm inclined to think in song titles and musical lines. It's part of the magic, the strange pull, that I feel whenever I'm trying to bridge the gap between us. I'll never know what it is, but who needs to understand it. It's just there.
I'll never forget walking into that big room at Jimmy's - and there he stood - the object of my "obsession", as Jimmy called it -, behind the mike, guitar in hand, tuning up with the sound engineer - just like the picture my mind had been painting all the way across the country. For seven hours I had watched forty-eight states unroll beneath me - the Great Lakes, the Black Hills, the flat fields of the Midwest, the footlands of the Rockies, the snow-capped peaks, the Great Salt Lake, more of the Rockies, Hoover Dam, Bryce Canyon, the Salton Sea and finally the hills of San Diego, and in the distance Point Loma and Coronado Island, I had arrived. It was all coming true.
But nothing compared to the moment when that beloved voice wafted up toward me in the balcony. It was like all the Christmas angels and heavenly trumpets calling just to me. I was transfixed for those hours. Forgive me for the hyperbole. But every now and then one really needs to pour out enormous feelings or they get lost and never acknowledged.
You asked us, Butch, if the concert went well, and I asked you back, "Weren't you listening?" What I meant was that anybody who was listening was absolutely blown away. You are still one of the easiest voices in the world to listen too, and at the same time , one of the most gripping. It's got something to do with a charisma that comes through in your vocal style, but for me, it's always the purity and gentle "trueness" of the combination of your voice and guitar. I was surprised and excited by many new sounds that I had never heard in your tapes or on the ship. Little things - like your skillful whistling, and funny things like your piece with Carl. I kept wanting to ask for more of the stuff I already loved, but I decided after I had made the first request, to just let you sing whatever came up, so I could learn more about your fantastic repertoire. I guess I could listen for a week and still hear something new.
I try not to overwhelm you, Butch, with my enthusiasm, but it is difficult. I remember once in a letter -- or was it an e-mail? -- you said it was "hard to live up to all the things you say I can do so well." Rest easy, dear friend, I am very realistic about what you can do as a human being. My flights beyond reality only occur when I listen to your singing and playing. They are my way out of these petty confines. But to be honest, there are some opera singers - some coloratura sopranos and spinto tenors, but especially the great baritones like Leo Nucci and Thomas Hampson, who also transport me to another dimension. Yet somehow, you are it for me - numero uno. Don't take it personal, as the kids say. It's just me being "Sentimental Ol' You." So love me just the way I am.
Thanks to Judy for sending such a lovely prompt account of the event so I heard from you just as I arrived home. It was great to still feel in touch. Also my daughter, M'Lou, was thrilled to get a copy of your e-mail. She is another grade A fan, and wanted to know if I had requested "Scarlet Ribbons" for her. I confess, I was worrying so much about whether I should interrupt to request MY song "Somewhere Out There" - which I never did get around to - that I totally forgot about M'Lou's. You have a bunch of people in the world, Butch, who could keep you singing so long you'd starve to death. What a way to go! Right?
Enuf for tonight. Hope all is perfect for you. Aloha,
Katie
The following emails were received from Robyn & Robert Steed of Utah. First fans... and now friends. We reach out to touch others and they in turn touch our hearts in return. Aloha to Robyn and Robert.
10/13/98
Dear Butch
Aloha, This thank-you note is long overdue. My name is Bob and my wife's name is Robyn Steed. We had the pleasure of cruising with you on the S.S. Independence (Voyage 939) on the 13th of June 1998. We are from Utah, my wife is a fourth grade school teacher and I work as an anesthetist in a small community hospital.
If you still don't remember us, we were your "star ukulele" players, Robyn still remembers having you turn her ukulele over so she would strum the back side because she was having considerable difficulty learning the cords. Butch, I don't expect you to remember all of your passengers, but I want to let you know that we have not forgotten your music and late night discussions about your philosophy of life, etc.
Robyn had several fainting episodes after our return and eventually required a pacemaker implant, or a peacemaker as her students call it. She is doing fine at present but it took awhile to get her well.
Sorry it took so long to thank-you for the memories you helped create. We still enjoy your tapes and as we told you on the ship, you will always have a place to stay in Utah.
God Bless You for the good you do. Stay healthy and happy!
A HUI HO / MALAMAPONO -- The Steeds
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2/22/99
Butch,
Robyn and I want to again thank you for remembering us. We both want you to know you have made a positive life-long impression on us. We were so excited to open our mail-box and find a letter from you. This brought back wonderful memories.
Butch you say your life seems to go round in circles on the ship, please know that you have a tremendous influence on people. I know you do not get all the accolades in life you deserve, but know there are many unspoken words thought in your behalf.
We spent the last weekend in Las Vegas celebrating our 28th anniversary. We were at the Rightous Brothers program when we looked up on stage at the lead guitarist and thought for sure it was you. I yelled "Hey Butch" at the end of the program to see if he would turn around. He did not, you must have a twin brother.
Butch, as much as we loved the Hawaiian Experience, we want you to know when we return to see Hawaii by sea it will be because of our desire to see you and listen to your music and just talk again. Aloha and please stay in contact.
Your eternal friends, Bob and Robyn
Here's a nice e-mail from some friends in Tennessee.
Hi Butch,
We keep playing your tape over and over because your music is so stirring. We only bought one tape from you. The green one, "Butch sings Hawaiian." We would like to get the other two tapes you made. I think one is christmas music and the other is just nice island music. We don't remember the title.
If you have completed the new recording we are also interested in that. Just let us know what we have to do to get all of them from you.
Have you done anything about getting a bike yet? I sent you the magazine from GWRRA. Did you receive it Okay? After spending three days on Oahu I can understand why you don't want a big bike. Where would you go? The islands are not that big. You don't need a touring bike to enjoy a day of riding. You probably would be completely satisfied with a 450cc up to a 750cc.
We have some really good pictures that we took of you performing. We will send them to you under seperate cover, by regular mail. Hope you enjoy them. One is with Ko'u Kika Li'il'i. It would be great as a publicity shot. I f you like it and want a copy of the negative I will be happy to get it for you.
One more question, have you ever thought of putting together a road show to bring to the mainland? I have this idea for a one and a half to two hour stage extravaganza called "Hawaii Comes to the Mainland." It would feature hula dancers, some of the island lore set to music, Hawaiian chants and the mainliner star of the show would be none other than Butch Naiauhoe Kekaulike O'Sullivan. You would become a super star over night (not that you aren't one already, at least in our books). I don't have any idea of what the production cost would be to get it up and running at this time but I am sure there are angels out there that would help back it with me. What is your opinion on this matter?
Well, that is about it for a chat, right now. ... We hope we can get to see you within the next year. Ann and I want to come back to Hawaii so bad we can hardly wait. Also kind of keep us informed of your itinerary so we can be sure that when we do come over we can at least get together for dinner.
'A hui hou
Bob and Ann Hebner
Here's an e-mail from some folks on a cruise who were thoughtful enough to inquire about my health. For a musician, laryngitis is a dreaded illness...that robs a musician of his ability to communicate in song. Mahalo for inquiring. The throat's all better.
From: Gene and Sarah Brushart
Subject: How is Butch O'Sullivan?
The week of November 13-20, we were vacationers on the S. S. Independence. We really enjoyed the music of Butch O'Sullivan. We purchased three of his tapes we liked him so much. We returned to our home today and have played his tapes most of the time since we returned.
The last day of our cruise, Butch was unable to sing because of laryngitis. We were wondering how he is doing. We sure hope he has recovered and is back on the job entertaining the new group of vacationers.
He is a very talented musician and very knowledgeable about other vocalists and their songs. He certainly has repertoire of a wide variety of songs. He made our cruise very enjoyable.
Gene and Sarah
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