Uncle Tom’s Gabbin’

TOWER OF POWER‘s Emilio Castillo arrived in town a couple of days early getting ready for concerts at Honolulu’s Blaisdell Concert Hall and Maui’s Castle Theater. Trivia: What was the first song this super musician ever performed? Answer’s below …

Interesting show on KFVE, Emme‘s Classic Island Moments, featured The Comeback Kids – three people who’ve faced health challenges head on: surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack; golfer Arnold Palmer,who won a battle with prostate cancer; and the late Chris Pablo, who battled leukemia for 12 years and helped others stricken with cancer (he passed away last year) … Fun fact: The first time I met golf legend Palmer was at the Hawaiian Open. After coming off the course at Waialae, he paused at the Kahala Hilton pool to watch my beachboy buddy Bobby Krewson and me in a heated game of backgammon. Nodding toward the golf course, he said with a grin, “It looks like there’s more action here than there is out there” …

Vote for Hawaii’s own Friends of Adam! They’ve made it to the top 10 out of hundreds of entrants and now qualify for the Hard Rock Calling in London to appear with Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Pearl Jam, The Hives, The Gaslight Anthem and Ben Harper & Relentless7. Round-trip air fares, four nights of hotel rooms, cash and the chance to rock at one of the world’s best festivals are at stake! Go to https://battle.ambassadorsofrock.com/friendsofadam/ by Sunday to show your support … Fun Fact: FOA has opened here for Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Aerosmith, multi Grammy Award-winner Sheryl Crow and ’70s pop sensation Pablo Cruise and recently played at the opening of the Hoku’s …

Actress Taryn Manning spotted playing soccer in the sand while reveling in her new role on Hawaii Five-O. She’ll play Mary Ann McGarrett, sister of Australian actor Alex O’Loughlin‘s Steve McGarrett …

And the first song ever performed by Emilio Castillo: The Platters‘Only You. He was 6 years old …