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Ken Cameron created Hilo Guitars and Ukuleles as a fantasy while on a sight seeing and information gathering trip. Ken and a friend Peter Morin (owner of Blue Note Music) were on the island for a little fun, sun, and possible property hunting when they both fell in love with the historic downtown section of Hilo. They thought downtown Hilo would be a cool place for a guitar store.
Ken Cameron in his first Hilo Guitars and Ukuleles store in Hilo, Hawaii Ken's Story
I was born in Motherwell, Scotland in May of 1951. My first recollection of hearing a guitar was when I was five years old and I was listening to an old tube radio. I asked my Mother what that beautiful sound was. It was a Hawaiian Lap Steel Guitar, It is rather ironic that I ended up with a Guitar and Ukulele Shop in Hilo Hawaii.
I left my home in Scotland at the age of eighteen and hitchhiked to London with fifteen dollars, a guitar, and a sleeping bag and started life as a busker (street musician). I did that for two years and then moved to Paris, France where I continued as a busker playing in the Paris Metro (subway), cinema queues, and outdoor cafes, etc. I was discovered playing in a bistro by Spot Records and was signed to a record contract. I made one record with moderate success. I played on TV, radio, and festivals throughout France.
I decided that if I was serious about music that I should move back to England and pursue a career there. I stayed in a friend's garage in Bradford, England and made a demo on his reel-to-reel tape player. After two months I went down to London and started shopping my tape around to the different record companies. I landed a contract with DJM Records, the label that introduced Elton John to the world and was also The Beatles publisher. Once again the record that followed met with moderate success, but I was dissatisfied with the support of the record company.
I formed a band called Ernest Brainchild and the Invaders with former members of the Incredible String Band and David Bowie's backing band. We did several tours as opening act for Steel Eye Span, Glenn Cornicks Wild Turkey, and others.
Some friends that I had met while living in Paris, who had since moved to San Francisco, had written me to say that they were signed to CBS. They told me they were living the high life and that I should come and join them.
I went to San Francisco only to find that it had been a ploy to get me there. In actual fact they were street musicians.
I played in the streets of San Francisco (The Cannery).
I even had a job playing music behind magician Harry Anderson of Night Court fame. Part of the act was that he would throw a ping pong ball in the air and I would catch it on the end of my nose and then play the song "The Show Must Go On".
I formed a band called Killerwatt who became extremely popular in the Bay area and opened for Blondie, Sammy Hagar, Eddie Money and Mink Deville at the legendary Mabuhay Gardens and also the Great American Music Hall.
I later released another record on my own label, Brainchild Records produced by Bill Spooner, the guitar player for The Tubes. My band included the future members of Tommy Tutone, Eddie Money Band Jack Cassidy's SVT, Tuxedo Moon, Night Ranger and Ozzy Osborne.
When the band split up I moved with the guitarist to Los Angeles and played around LA in various bands, one was with Glenn Cornick, former bass player of Jethro Tull. I also became the house sound engineer at Madame Wongs in Chinatown. There I worked with The Police, Motels, Los Lobos among many others.
After five years at Wongs the Club, it burned down and I decided to retire from music and took a job in electronics sales that lasted for about 12 years. I finally decided that I wanted to play music again and moved to the Central Coast of California, got a job at Blue Note Music and formed the Cameron Burnside duo with Steve Burnside, former member of the Outsiders.
After three years there, I went on vacation to the Philippines and met my future wife. I went back to the US, sold everything and moved there. The political climate got really dodgy so I decided to move back to US (the Central Coast of California). California had since become really expensive and I didn't feel comfortable raising my children there so I moved to Hilo on the Island of Hawaii and opened Hilo Guitars and Ukuleles.
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Ken has been joined by Brian Padilla, a ukulele player and teacher with many years of experience in the retail music business in California and Hawaii.
Brian at Hilo Guitars and Ukuleles
Hilo Guitars and Ukuleles is now closer to Hilo Bay at 56 Ponahawaii.
Ken in his current Hilo Guitar and Ukulele Store
Hilo Guitars and Ukuleles store on Ponahawaii near Hilo Bay
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