Richard Hiram Jensen (April 9, 1942 – June 21, 2006), was a musical performer of the

Rhythm and Blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

Soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

, and

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

genres. His signature on-stage style incorporated strenuous dance moves similar to those of

Jackie Wilson Jack Leroy Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer and performer of the 1950s and 60s. He was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", he was considered a mas ...

. He was born in

Kalihi Kalihi is a neighborhood of Honolulu on the island of Oʻahu in Hawaiʻi, United States. Split by the Likelike Highway (Route 63), it is flanked by downtown Honolulu to the east and Mapunapuna, Moanalua and Salt Lake to the west. Kalihi is th ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

on the island of

Oahu Oahu () (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering place#Island of Oʻahu as The Gathering Place, Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over t ...

Biography

Jensen was a native Hawaiian athletic song stylist whose "white hot soul" electrified audiences. He was of Hawaiian, French,

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and

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descent. A graduate of

Farrington High School Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School is a public grades 9–12 high school located in the Kalihi district of Honolulu on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, United States. The school is named after the late Wallace Rider Farrington, the sixth g ...

, he first used the stage name Lance Curtis. He was a main showroom caliber draw who filled rooms at the Outrigger Waikiki, the Oceania Floating Restaurant, Hilton Hawaiian Dome, Reef Towers Polynesian Palace and the Hula Hut. By 1968, this one-time opening act for the

Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

had become an international performer, signing with Don Costa Productions and began performing at the El Quid in

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

. He often divided his career between the islands and

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. Jensen earned the sobriquet "The Giant" because of his tall stature, but he had a talent to match that nickname. His vocal stylings came deep from his Hawaiian soul, as he danced around the stage. Some have compared seeing his physicality on stage to watching the seemingly effortless glide of a professional ice skater. In 1970, he was appearing at the Century Plaza in New York City, in his debut of that city. In 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973, he appeared at the Copacabana in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, aptly being compared to

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

, the superstar most analogous to Jensen's onstage style. He branched out into acting with guest starring roles on popular television shows. In 1982, he appeared on

The Mike Douglas Show ''The Mike Douglas Show'' was an American daytime television talk show that was hosted by Mike Douglas. It began as a local program in Cleveland before being carried on other stations owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting. The show went into nati ...

when it was broadcast from Hawaii. In his later years, Jensen became a

born again Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sepa ...

evangelical Christian minister. He died of

Lou Gehrig's Disease Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most com ...

, complicated by heart surgery and a series of mini-strokes, which took his legs before it took his life on June 21, 2006. Jensen is survived by his wife Toni, daughters Summer Jensen, Renee Jensen-Oliveira of Honolulu and Nikeila Jensen of Los Angeles, daughter Jennifer Garcia of Las Vegas, and son Brandon Jensen of Honolulu. He also has three grandchildren.

Discography

*''White Hot Soul'' (1969) LP album 519361 (Probe) *''Real Good Woman / Bird You Must Fly'' (1970) promo single CP479 (Probe) *''Dick Jensen'' (1973) LP album KZ31794 (Philadelphia International) *''Dick Jensen'' (1973) LP album EPC65591 (Epic) *''Going Up The Mountain'' (1973) single EPC 1395 (Epic) *''Peace of Mind / New York City's A Lonely Town'' (1973) single ZS73542 (Epic)

Television work

*''The Islander'' (1978) *''

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'' *''

Magnum, P.I. ''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980 to May 8, 1988 during its first-run broadcast on ...

'' (1986) *''

Island Son ''Island Son'' is an American medical drama television series that aired on CBS from September 16, 1989, to March 15, 1990, during the 1989–90 schedule. ''Island Son'' marked the return to regular weekly series television of Richard Chamberla ...

'' (1989) *''

Jake and the Fatman ''Jake and the Fatman'' is an American crime drama television series starring William Conrad as prosecutor J. L. (Jason Lochinvar) "Fatman" McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles. The series ran on CBS for five seasons from September ...

'' (1989)

Awards

On November 5, 2005, Jensen received a star on the

Las Vegas Walk of Stars The Las Vegas Walk of Stars, located in Las Vegas, Nevada, started in October 2004 to honor the people who helped make Vegas famous. The stars are located along a 4-mile stretch on both sides of Las Vegas Blvd between Sahara Ave and Russell Rd. ...

, commemorating his distinguished contributions to that city's entertainment. The

Hawai'i Academy of Recording Arts Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

awarded Jensen the 2006

Na Hoku Hanohano The Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, occasionally called the Nā Hōkū Awards or Hoku Awards, are the premier music awards in Hawaii.Berger, John"A night of Na Hoku Hanohano" ''Honolulu Star-Advertiser''. May 22, 2011.Haug, Kawehi"Hoku awardees shine ...

Lifetime Achievement Award. Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jensen, Dick 1942 births 2006 deaths American male television actors Musicians from Honolulu Male actors from Hawaii American people of Native Hawaiian descent American people of French descent American people of Danish descent American people of English descent American people of Irish descent People from Oahu American performers of Christian music Male actors from Honolulu American evangelicals 20th-century American musicians Native Hawaiian musicians Na Hoku Hanohano Award winners Neurological disease deaths in Hawaii Deaths from motor neuron disease Philadelphia International Records artists Epic Records artists 20th-century American male actors