Danny Barcelona

BARCELONA , Danny
July 23, 1929 - April 1, 2007
Danny Barcelona, veteran drummer for jazz legend Louis Armstrong and his band of All Stars, passed away on Sunday, April 1, 2007. Danny, who had been diagnosed with cancer earlier in the year, died peacefully, surrounded and comforted by his wife, daughters and immediate family.
Born in Waipahu, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu, Danny was the youngest son of Inez and Francisco Barcelona, who came to Kauai in the early 1920's as part of the first wave of Filipino immigrants that came to the Hawaiian islands to work in the burgeoning sugar cane industry. In 1940, Danny lost his beloved mother to tuberculosis. Danny's father, Francisco, was a long time supervisor at the Waipahu Plantation Camp on Oahu, where he raised his five boys and one girl before passing away in 1968. Danny is also preceded in death by his beloved brothers Frank Jr. ("Bugs"), Henry, and Abraham, and sister, Consuelo.
Danny's musical skills surfaced at a very young age. By the time he reached his early 20's, he had his own sextet called the "Hawaiian Dixieland All-Stars," which toured the Hawaiian islands and Japan. His musical buddies included Gabe Baltazar, Bernie Halmann, Frank and Bobby Kamano, Toto Aspera and Al Bang.
In the early 1950's, Danny met the golden-throated Dee Thrasher when the young singer was booked at the South Seas Hotel in Waikiki, appearing with her two older sisters as part of the musical trio, "The Morgan Sisters." The couple married in 1953. Their first daughter, Dana, was born in 1955. Two years later, another daughter, Jodi, joined the family. Danny and Dee shared a loving and solid marriage, even though Danny was on the road with the band for most of each year during the 1960's.
In 1956, his good friend, Trummy Young, the Louis Armstrong band's talented trombonist, introduced the 27-year-old drummer to the jazz great. Armstrong promptly invited Danny to join his All Stars, and for the next 17 years, Danny traveled all over the world with Louis Armstrong and his All-Stars, playing before enthusiastic jazz fans in the United States, Asia, Europe, Africa, as well as behind the Iron Curtain. Highlights of his career included an African tour in the 1960's, where Danny amazed the Rhodesian drum masters with his rhythmic skills, as well as playing on more than 130 different recording sessions and soundtracks, including all of Armstrong's hit singles, such as "Hello Dolly" and "It's A Wonderful World".
Referred to affectionately as "The Little Hawaiian Boy" by Louis Armstrong, Danny remained a member of Armstrong's group until it disbanded completely in 1971, after Armstrong passed away on July 3rd. How good was Danny as a drummer? When arguably the most talented and innovative musician in the history of music wants you to join his group and play with him every night, that says it all.
After the Armstrong band broke up, Danny was active in the Honolulu music scene, and was a fixture onstage at the Hilton Hawaiian Village for several years, playing with good friends Bernie Halmann and Melveen Leed. He also worked for many years at Harry's Music in Kaimuki , the local school district, and at the Easy Music Center in Honolulu.
Danny was an avid golfer, and after he and Dee moved to Monterey Park in Southern California in 1979, he made many more good friends at the Whittier Narrows and Montebello Country Club golf courses. His son-in-law, Bill Bonner, recalls that whenever he would golf with Danny, golfers from every corner of the course would go out of their way to stop by and greet Danny with great affection.
Danny leaves behind countless friends in both Honolulu and Monterey Park that will remember him for his smiling face, upbeat disposition and his positive outlook on life.
Missing him greatly, Danny leaves behind his wife of more than 50 years, Dee, daughters Dana Barcelona-Bonne r, and Jodi Barcelona, sons-in-law Bill Bonner, Mike Slayton, Norman Lim and Dominic Rigoli, grandchildren Ka ra Lim, Breeann Barcelona, Dominic Rigoli, Matthew Lim, Michael Bonner and great-grandson Jacob Rigoli, as well as sisters-in-law Mary Jane and Betty Thrasher. They will all miss his remarkable presence and his warmth and love in their lives every day.
Also missing Danny will be his brother Jose ("Sonny") Barcelona and wife Helen, his sister-in-law Mercedes Barcelona, and nieces Laura Sue Casey, Marcella Tamashiro, Melissa Fraser and Kathy O'Neal, and nephews Hugh Casey, Greg Barcelona, Hank Barcelona , Buddy Barcelona, Brian Barcelona, Pat Casey and Mike Casey.
A celebration to honor Danny's life will be held Sunday, April 15th with family and friends. For information, please send an e-mail to:
hapafromhawaii@gmail.com