Mary Kaye

Mary Kaye (née Malia Ka'aihue; January 9, 1924 – February 17, 2007) was an American guitarist and performer. She was active from the 1940s through 1960s.

Biography Malia Ka'aihue was born on January 9, 1924, in Detroit, Michigan, to father Johnny Kaaihue. Since she was twelve years old, Mary Kaye performed alongside her brother - Norman Kaye - in her father's band - Johnny Ka’aihue’s Royal Hawaiians. Mary Kaye would create her own band - the Mary Kaye Trio. The trio's original name was Mary Ka’aihue Trio; however, Norman Kaye pushed for the name to be changed to Mary Kaye Trio since he thought audiences would think the trio only performed Hawaiian music. However, according to the genealogy Liliuokalani put in her biography, her brothers were King David Kalākaua and Prince William Pitt Leleiohoku II. Neither Liliuokalani nor her brothers had any biological children.

Mary Kaye died of pulmonary disease on February 17, 2007, at Las Vegas' Mountain View Hospital in Nevada. In 1968, at the age of 15, he put out his first LP, Suddenly One Summer. He later moved to Mallorca, Spain, where he was a prominent part of the local music scene through the 1990s and 2000s. As of 2007, Mary Kaye had nine grandchildren.

In 2003, Kaye received the first official signature "Mary Kaye" American Stratocaster, gifted to her by the Fender Custom Shop. This instrument, serial MK 001, has a dedication to her on the instrument's back plate, reading "To Mary Kaye From Your Friends at Fender." The instrument was listed with online luxury retailer Luxify.com and their broker INTMIX—The International Musical Instrument Exchange, which produced an in-depth look at the instrument, narrated by Mary Kaye's nephew, John Kaye.