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Lani Kai was a Hawaiian actor, composer, and musician, born on August 15, 1936, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He passed away on August 24, 1999, at the age of 63 in Oahu, Hawaii. Growing up on the Polynesian island of Oahu, he studied music during his time at Punahou School in Honolulu. After serving in the Marine Corps, he found his first professional opportunity on "The Don Sherwood Show" in San Francisco. He then performed in Las Vegas with Lionel Hampton, playing the conga drums, and had various appearances with small Hawaiian groups and progressive jazz combos as a singer, drummer, and bassist. At the age of 24, Lani Kai ventured into acting when a casting director discovered him, leading to his role in the "Adventures In Paradise" series in 1960. After the show's cancellation in 1962, he continued to record, tour, and act. Among his notable compositions is "Puka Shells," which reached #2 on the Hawaiian music charts in the mid-1970s when recorded by Rod Young. He also co-composed "The Poor People" with Cliff Muller and had another composition, "Shells," recorded by Keola Beamer for his Wooden Boat album on George Winston's Dancing Cat Records.

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