Farewell to Bill Tapia

Bill Tapia, one of the world's oldest active musicians and a man famous for his ukulele playing, has died at the age of 103. (He played other instruments as well.) He was born on 1 January 1908, so he was only a few weeks short of his 104th birthday. He received his first ukulele at the age of seven, and by the age of twelve he was already playing it professionally.

He is credited with what may have been the world's first ukulele instruction booklet, published in 1939. He played alongside musical giants such as Loius Armstrong, Fats Waller (the jazz pianist) and Billy Holliday, and stars also took lessons from him, including Shirley Temple and Clark Gable. And here is a wonderfully charming video that is well worth watching.

Bill, teach the lute-playing angels how to play the ukulele!