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A decade later
at age 11, LeRoy was on stage with his uncles, as a
drummer for their family band. LeRoy eventually formed a three-piece group with his brothers,
playing weddings and winning talent shows. In 1978, the family decided to devote
itself full-time to music, forming a Polynesian Review with their mother as
lead singer. Pop Music was always part of
their set, but it was the south seas hook that kept them The family act, then known as "The Polynesian Pearls", were booked for a long term engagement at the Hawaiian International Inn outside Minneapolis Minnesota. They became stranded when the hotel chain suddenly went bankrupt. The local hotel owners took the family of fifteen at the time in for three months until they finally found a gig at a Holiday Inn. The Polynesian Pearls |
 Vauvau,Tonga Islands
Tongan Dance |
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1981, they decided to concentrate on pop music, and mom retired, then adopting the
name "Quasar", chosen by the group after watching a SciFi show on television.
They were appearing under this name when Don Powell, former manager of Stevie
Wonder and Co-Manager of David Bowie, first saw them in early 1984. Recognizing
their skill and potential, he became involved.
At Powell's suggestion, they changed their name to The Jets, derived from the street gang of the same name in film, The Westside Story. The newly named group recorded a four song demo. In addition, they made two videos showcasing their energetic stage interplay, highlighted by 15 year old Rudy's intricate choreography. Powell then began pitching The Jets at major record labels, and landing an offer with MCA Records. |
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 Signing with MCA Records, The Jets took off with
speed of their namesake. Their self-titled debut album went platinum (over
1,000,000 sold) and launched no less than three hit singles, "Curiosity" reached
#8 on Billboards Urban Charts, "Crush On You" rose to #4 on the Urban Chart, and
#3 on the Pop Chart, and "You Got It All" went to #3 on the Pop Chart and #1 on
the Adult Contemporary Chart. Young Elizabeth's vocals were featured on much of
their debut, with brothers Eugene and Rudy handling the
 remaining lead vocal spots
on the album.
Christmas With The Jets appeared on MCA in time for
the yuletide season late in 1986, featuring 10 all new, contemporary Christmas
songs. The only release seen from this album was a heart- breaking "Christmas In
My Heart", to which a video was also released. |
Signing At MCA |
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Taking their role as celebrities seriously, The Jets
were been active in such causes as drug and alcohol abuse prevention. They appeared at the
White House to lend support to First Lady Nancy Reagan's anti-drug efforts, and
they produced a PSA spot with the message, "Be Smart Don't
Start." The Jets continued to open new territory, they performed in Japan for the first time in the fall of 1987, receiving the award for Best New Group at the Tokyo Music Festival. Talent and persistence brought The Jets their continued success with the release of their new MCA album MAGIC, they advanced even further. |
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 The Jets members Leroy, Eddie, Haini, Rudy, Kathi,
Elizabeth, and Moana form a unit with great enthusiasm and spirit. Their
youthful exuberance and upbeat musical blends have made MAGIC a hit with the
young and old. Their first single "I Do You" was a smash, pushing MAGIC
to gold status (over 500,000 copies sold). The pulsating groove and
warmly romantic vocals have made "I Do You" a hit on radio and dance
floor across the country. "We wanted to do a little experimenting this time,"
says Leroy. "There's a tougher edge on some tracks, as well as strong ballads.
We looked for songs that weren't the same as our first hits. We had to listen to
950 songs to find something different, but it was worth is to show that we're
growing as a band."
The Jets take a funky turn with "Rocket 2 U" , the next single and video release. Featuring Bass Guitarist Haini on lead vocals, the song features irresistible vocal harmonies with an addictive beat. "Believe It Or Not Its Magic" has a similar non-stop drive, with hints of R&B and Latin styles. Rounding out the magic sound are a pair of exceptional ballads by Elizabeth, "Anytime" and "Make It Real". "One of our goals is to show the world that families can do things together," says Leroy. " When we look back at our life, an emigrant family coming to America, it's like the American dream, and we feel very lucky."
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touring in the Midwest
and Canada. Each of the kids in the band sang and played at least two
instruments.
