Jon Yamasato
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You may recognize him from his days as a member of the local music group Pure Heart, but these days Jon Yamasato is working as a Realtor for Prudential Locations and is finding ways to give back to the community.
“I promised my family that I would finish college, so that’s what I did,” says Yamasato, a 2003 graduate of UH-Manoa.
“I tried touring for a short stint, which is what you need to do to make money as a musician nowadays, and didn’t like it. I turned to real estate from a suggestion by my uncle, and it fit my personality and ambitions well - so I continued to stay in the business.”
You can still catch Yamasato going back to his roots and performing live Oct. 16 as part of The Wings for Shriner’s. Sponsored by the Aloha Chapter of Hawaii Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) designated Realtors, this annual fundraiser takes place from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Aloha Tower Marketplace. Pau hana pupus will be provided by Highway Inn, and guests can enjoy the sounds of Yamasato along with performances by Dennis Kamakahi, Hapa, Ben Vegas and Maila Gibson.
“People can expect a very relaxing evening of music, drink and food. The Shriners also attend the event and love to mingle through the crowd,” Yamasato says. “I wasn’t part of the CRS chapter when they originally came up with Shriner’s as their primary target for charity, but now that they are under construction of their new facility, we thought it fit well with our real estate background.”
Yamasato appeared on MidWeek‘s cover in August 1999 as a member of Pure Heart (with Jake Shimabukuro and Lopaka Colon). Besides working for Prudential Locations for the past six years, the local boy and wife Stacey have a beautiful 8-month-old daughter, Nysa.
When asked where he sees himself in five years’time,Yamasato responds, “I’ll be watching my daughter play in the schoolyard from my home office, and maybe if things continue to go well, I may be prepping for another run at a music career in my 40s.”
For now, he’s just glad he can use his talents to help others less fortunate.
“It’s an unbelievable blessing to be able to help others while doing something that you love to do,” Yamasato says. “Not many people can come to an event and directly benefit parties who are in need of assistance, either monetarily or otherwise.
“Some of the greatest, most-meaningful performances that have stuck with me all these years have been at charity events.”
Tickets for the fundraiser cost $20 and may be purchased at the door, with all proceeds benefiting Shriner’s Hospital. For more information or to purchase tickets in advance, call 733-7060 (press 0 for the operator) or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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