Tuesday, September 8, 1998
Star-Bulletin
Waikiki entertainer and ventriloquist Freddie Morris,
shown here with his stage dummy Moku Kahana in 1985,
died last night at Castle Hospital. He was 39.
Isle ventriloquist
Freddie Morris dies after
20 years of entertaining
Star-Bulletin
Tapa
Waikiki entertainer and ventriloquist Freddie Morris died last night
at Castle Hospital after suffering a seizure.
Morris, 39, suffered from a seizure disorder for the past two years, according to his manager Shauna Tabor. Morris collapsed at his home last night and was taken to Castle, where he died.
Funeral services are pending.
Morris had been a ventriloquist since he was 7.
Kimo McVay said he began managing Morris more than 20 years ago after seeing his show at a Waikiki coffee shop. "He was a ventriloquist, and I wasn't too thrilled about ventriloquists," McVay said. "He had a dummy whom he called Archie, and I wasn't that impressed with the dummy, but the audience loved him.
"After I decided to manage him, we decided to change the dummy and we created Moku Kahana. We sent the manufacturer pictures of various famous Hawaiians and Hawaiian entertainers.
"It was later that I realized that the name Moku Kahana is Kahanamoku spelled backwards. It must have been a Freudian slip because I had been a close friend of Duke Kahanamoku. . . ."
"(Morris) was the nicest, loving and caring individual."
Morris appeared on Channel 9's Checkers and Pogo afternoon kids' television show during his nearly two decades in entertainment.
A partial list of survivors include two sisters, Denise and Joy;
and several brothers including Bobby and Barry.
Tell me again, mommy
You and me against the world
Sometimes it feels like you and me against the world
When all the others turn their backs and walk away
You can count on me to stay
Remember when the circus came to town
And you were frightened by the clown
Wasn't it nice to be around someone that you knew
Someone who was big and strong and looking out for you
And me against the world
Sometimes it feels like you and me against the world
And for all the times we've cried
I always felt that God was on our side
And when one of us is gone
And one of us is left to carry on
Then remembering will have to do
Our memories alone will get us through
Think about the days of me and you
You and me against the world
And when one of us is gone
And one of us is left to carry on
Then remembering will have to do
Our memories alone will get us through
Think about the days of me and you
You and me against the world
I love you, mommy
I love you too, baby
*New Karaoke Song
One of Freddie Morris's favorite to sing
along with his pal Moku Kahana
