Earlier this year, Tony Ruivivar celebrated his birthday with many of his friends. To his surprise, though, he wasn’t expecting them to be there. My Auntie Robin contacted me one day to see if I would join her and some friends at her house for dinner and fireworks on the 4th of July. When I responded saying that Loretta and I were considering some plans of our own, she invited me to show up on the 3rd instead. For on that night, she had planned a surprise birthday party for Tony.
It was a really nice gathering. These people really love Tony, and they weren’t shy in expressing it. Throughout the night, we were entertained by interesting stories and great music.
Toward the end of the evening, Tony was greeted by another one of my aunties — Melveen Leed. And that meant more singing and music!
At the end of the night, Auntie Robin treated Tony with some hula; I think that was the first time I saw her dance, and I was quite impressed! 🙂
For those who don’t know, Tony Ruivivar is one of the founders of the Society of Seven (aka SOS) — a show band founded in Hawaii that has been running for over 40 years. I saw them for the first time when I was just a kid, and I remember that they were really talented and funny. For those who might not be familiar with SOS, you might be familiar with American Idol’s Season 3 finalist Jasmine Trias, who has performed with the SOS in Las Vegas.
Here are some of the images from this wonderful celebration.
Kevin, you are just masterful. The gift you have with capturing people’s spirits on film is just incredible. It felt as if I were at the party too! 🙂
Thanks Mikie! 🙂
TONY'S SPECIAL BIRTH-DAY!