Music Legends on Maui: Conversations with Icons of Rock, Country, Jazz, Blues, Hawaiian, Soul & Reggae in Paradise

“There is no one in Hawai‘i who knows more about the music scene, and the artists themselves than Jon Woodhouse.” - Pat Simmons, The Doobie Brothers. “We’ve all been waiting for this book.”

“At last a written document that honors the music that has taken place on this island represented with grace and passion.” - Mick Fleetwood, Fleetwood Mac. “Jon, who I’ve known as a friend here for so many years always had great insight into not only the local talent, but more than often a full knowledge of all the incredibly varied world stage acts that have graced these islands.”

“Jon’s love and deep understanding of music, the variety of people who make it, and the island of Maui are why this book is completely unique.” - Ben Verdery, Professor of Guitar, Yale School of Music.

Compiling more than 80 interviews conducted over four decades, Music Legends on Maui presents intriguing profiles of many icons, from Willie Nelson, Prince, and Paul Simon, to B.B. King, Herbie Hancock, and Joan Baez, with unique insights into their creative and spiritual paths.
Here are innovative trailblazers, prophets, revolutionaries, and influential artists who have shaped the course of music into the 21st century, many referencing how the Hawaiian islands impacted them.
Arranged in genre chapters, it opens with a “Maui No Ka Oi” section devoted to acclaimed artists who live or lived on Maui. Other sections include “Troubadours,” “California Dreaming,” “Take Me to the River,” “Mele o Hawai‘i,” “Sundown in Nashville,” “Rock & Roll Music,” “Round Midnight,” “Why I Sing the Blues,” and “Reggae Got Soul,” plus an extensive bibliography and photos.
Offering a unique social/cultural history, it covers civil rights, segregation, environmental movements, Hawaiian sovereignty, and the power of music to inspire and raise consciousness. Harry Belafonte confronting the KKK, Carl Perkins defending the “Devil’s rock” music, Joan Baez at the March on Washington, John Lennon protesting censorship, Hugh Masekela and apartheid, Willie Nelson championing small farmers, Bonnie Raitt at Standing Rock, and the impact of TM on the Beatles, the Beach Boys and The Doors.

About the Author
Jon Woodhouse trained as a teacher at the University of London, and taught social studies at Ealing Art College (formerly attended by Pete Townshend, Ron Wood, and Freddie Mercury), before relocating to America. He became a journalist after moving to Maui in 1980, and has covered entertainment for The Maui News since 1983. He has promoted concerts (Dylan, Santana, CS&N) and personal growth workshops. He also ran the Maui arm of the Hawaii International Film Festival.