Harry Owens

Harry Owens
Harry Owens with his daughter Leilani
Background information
Birth name	Harry Robert Owens
Born	(1902-04-18)April 18, 1902 O'Neill, Nebraska
Died	December 12, 1986(1986-12-12) (aged 84) Eugene, Oregon
Genres	Hawaiian music
Occupation(s)	Musician, Composer, arranger
Instruments	Cornet
Years active	1926–?
Labels	Decca, Capitol, Columbia, Hamilton
Associated acts	Harry Owens and his Royal Hawaiians Bing Crosby Hilo Hattie Don McDiarmid

Harry Owens (18 April 1902 – 12 December 1986) was an American composer, bandleader and songwriter best known for his song "Sweet Leilani."

Harry Robert Owens was born April 18, 1902, in O'Neill, Nebraska. He learned to play the cornet in a small band on an Indian reservation in Montana.

Owens was working the vaudeville circuit by age 14. He studied for a career in law, but then started a band in 1926, when he was booked into the Lafayette Cafe in Los Angeles and auditioned a young Bing Crosby.

The big turning point in his career came in 1934 with his arrival in Hawaii and his appointment as music director of The Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki. He tried to learn all he could about the local culture by mixing and working with native Hawaiians. He learned many traditional and more modern Hawaiian songs and tunes which he wrote down and orchestrated using Western notation for the first time. Many had never been written down before, much less orchestrated. He reorganized the Royal Hawaiians by splitting the band into Hawaiian and haole instrumental sections. His band featured the steel guitar, which had a trademark sound, producing tuneful and rhythmic dance music with a strong Hawaiian flavour. Hilo Hattie was a featured performer with The Royal Hawaiian Hotel Orchestra. Beginning in 1935, Owens and his orchestra were featured on the popular Saturday night radio show, Hawaii Calls.

Bing Crosby and Owens began their friendship when both played the Lafayette Cafe in Los Angeles in 1926. In 1934, Owens wrote "Sweet Leilani" to celebrate the birth of his daughter, and made it the signature song of his Royal Hawaiian Hotel Orchestra. While vacationing in Honolulu with his wife Dixie Lee, Crosby heard the song and wanted to include it in his upcoming movie Waikiki Wedding. Harry was hesitant, but Bing convinced him. Producer Arthur Hornblow, Jr. was a hard sell. Hornblow dug in his heels that the song would not be used in the movie. Crosby retreated to the golf course and refused to return until Hornblow agreed to include the song in the film. "Sweet Leilani" won Best Song category at the 1938 10th Academy Awards, and became Crosby's first gold record.