I heard about this guy long before I met him. His story is inspiring - more so than any other I know of, because he played steel guitar with only one hand! No - it´s no trick or an act. He had only one hand. Like many of you, I had heard about other such great musicians as D´jango Reinhardt, who played plectrum guitar with two or three fingers on his left hand; Andy Iona, the great Hawaiian steel guitarist who had no thumb on his right hand; and others of similar circumstance, but not one without a hand! I can hear all of you saying to yourselves the same thing I said when I heard of this; How can anyone play any instrument with only one hand - especially steel guitar? So let me relate to you an amazing story about one Mr. Billy Hew Len. Unlike most stories, this is a true story that will sound like fiction.

Let me begin by saying that Billy was a master steel guitarist. Brother - he played! He never ceased to amaze me, this real son of Hawai´i. Billy Hew Len was of Hawaiian, Chinese, and Spanish descent; a rather odd mixture, but not uncommon in Hawai´i where many are of six to eight nationalities. There were twelve children in the Hew Len family: nine boys and three girls and they are all musicians or dancers - or both! Also not uncommon in Hawai´i.

When he was about ten years old, he used to swipe his cousin´s guitar while he was at work, keep it all day and when the owner finished work he´d return home only to find his guitar missing. He knew who had it so he´d head for Billy´s house in a huff and get his guitar. Same thing the next day. Billy would put a metal nut under the strings, like we used to have to do, to elevate the strings, and he would practise playing steel guitar. This kind of routine continued until he was 15, when he quit school and went to work in a garage. Then one shattering day something happened that would change Billy´s whole life. In one terrible moment, a planing machine took all of his left hand - cut it off at the wrist. He was only 17 years old! This could justifiably be termed a tragedy in anyone´s life, especially one so young. But I sometimes think that these things happen for a purpose. In Billy´s case I´m even more convinced of it.

So now - he told himself - he was done. What could a guy do with only one hand? One thing was for sure - he could never play steel guitar again. And he did what anyone would do after the shock and the healing process had passed and the dark depths of discouragement took over. He lay around the house or spent the empty hours loafing with the gang down the corner. What else? One day his mother suggested that they should talk to a man she knew who might be able to help. Billy would not consider it - he just "flat didn´t care about doing anything." But he later relented and agreed to go, even though it was a waste of time. And so he met the one person who would change his life. His name was Edwin P. Morell.

Mr. Morell was an elder in the Mormon Church and he worked with handicapped people of all sorts and ages. After asking Billy a few questions as to what he wanted to do and what he liked to do ("nothing" were his replies), they stumbled onto the fact that Billy liked to play steel guitar. But when it was explained how a steel guitar had to be played and Morell suggested they figure out a way to do it, Billy said, "No way! Not steel guitar." But he underestimated this man´s resourcefulness.

Later on, after some thought by Mr. Morell as to how to proceed with the problem, they went to a leather shop - a harness maker in those days. Morell explained to the man what was involved and gave him a drawing of what he wished him to make - a sort of glove that would fit over the wrist. Then they went to a machine shop - and, again, Morell had drawings to illustrate what he wanted; this time, a steel bar. It was about three inches long, round on both ends, and was to have a flange inserted into a slot into which several small holes were drilled. Those were used to attach the bar to the glove with leather laces, and the whole would fit over Billy´s wrist.

When he tried it out later, he was even more positive than ever that it just wouldn´t work! "How could I play and use any vibrato? I´d have to move my whole arm - not only difficult but tiring as well. And the slant - how can I make the necessary forward and reverse slants? Impossible!" But here is where his strong personality and ingrown desire finally won out. He´d do it - somehow - some way - he would do it!

He joined a band of handicapped musicians and he began the long battle. But at least he was playing music once again. It was decided by Mr. Morell that Billy needed a new instrument - an electric steel guitar. This was in the late 1930´s. They headed for downtown Honolulu at the old Metronome Music Store (still in business). They looked at a relatively inexpensive model - a brand new Rickenbacker "fry pan". While they were talking to the salesman they could hear someone upstairs playing a steel guitar. He too, was trying one of these "fry pan" looking things, so the salesman called up to him and asked if this lad could come up and listen to him play. This was Bill´s first meeting with the great David Keli´i, who later became famous via the Hawaii Calls radio show and on recordings, and who inspired many others to play steel guitar - myself included. So Billy was hearing sounds he´d never heard before! They bought the guitar on the spot! "But", Billy told me, "it sure didn´t sound that good when I tried to play the darned thing"! It was his main instrument throughout his life.

When pedal steel guitars came into their own in the 60´s Billy started using a Fender 4-pedal, 8-string neck to which he added two additional pedals himself. He used A6th as his basic tuning. Anyhow, he was soon playing at the hotels in Waikiki with his own band, followed by many recording sessions with top Hawaiian groups. He is on more Hawaiian records than any other steel guitarist, including a new album with our brother steelman, Barney Isaacs, entitled "Steel Guitar Magic" Hawaiian Style. It is a Jack DeMello Presents album No. 31000, and it contains 16 of Hawai´i´s all-time favorites.

I asked Billy if he had any regrets over not being able to play with two hands and his quick reply was an emphatic "No"! I personally feel that as a result of his handicap (or is it?) he evolved, out of necessity, a uniquely original style and sound that he may not have had otherwise. In fact, he may not even have continued in music - as steel man, especially. He would probably still be in that machine shop!

Billy enjoyed playing more than anyone I know, always flashing that big smile and giving out an infectious laugh. For about five years, he appeared on alternate nights in the same room as I, the Blue Dolphin Room in the Outrigger Hotel. But he also did luau shows (five or six a week), breakfast musicales, luncheon musicales, cocktail hour gigs, and everything else. Well, like I said, the cat was busy.

And this story has a happy ending because Billy Hew Len DID learn to play after what must have been many hundreds of hours of work and mental anguish, despair, impatience, and discouragement. I had these myself and I can imagine how it was with Billy. He became the most sought-after, most in demand steel guitarist in Hawai´i. Hawai´i has produced so many great steel guitarists that by sheer numbers their names have become lost in the cruelty of forgetfulnes. But Billy Hew Len´s name will not be among those lost because he had too much to say musically ever to merit such a fate. It just goes to show how much we mortals can accomplish with a little love and encouragement from somebody who cares. In Billy´s case it was his understanding mother and one Mr. E.P. Morell. But most of all, it was Billy Hew Len who did it.