If you were lucky enough to grow up in Hawaii during the 70s, you witnessed the birth of a new breed of music in the islands. The group Kalapana grabbed our attention and wouldn't let go, taking Hawaii by storm with the release of their first album in 1975.
Hawaii now had an insatiable appetite for this dynamic surf-rock group and one member in particular was the one we all noticed - Mackey Feary, Jr. In fact, one only had to say "Mackey" and you knew who they meant. His distinctive voice was easily recognizable and his music touched the hearts of those who were in love (or wanted to be). By the age of 20, Mackey had arrived.
For almost 30 years, we were privileged to receive the gifts of a remarkably talented man - his music brought pleasure and joy to more people than even he could have imagined. He is, and will remain one of Hawaii's favorite sons and a true legend. Mackey's spirit lives on in the music he left behind and his legacy is one that will be cherished by this generation and admired by all those to come.
Mackey struggled with crystal methamphetamine addiction, hanged himself in his cell at the Halawa Correctional Facility. His death sparked a debate about substance abuse treatment and incarcerating offenders with the idea that people struggling with drug addiction and depression should get medical treatment instead of prison sentences which in Mackey's case was a death sentence.
His family successfully sued the State of Hawaii saying prison officials failed to take suicide precautions with Feary even though there were signs he was a suicide risk. They also said a prison guard ordered inmates to stop performing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation on Feary after they found him hanging.
Mackey is survived by a son, Sebastian; parents, Bryant Mackey Sr. and Renee Feary of Nashville, Tenn., and Edwin Uyehara; brothers, Frank (Cindy), Rodney Feary, Tony (Dana), Nickey Anthony and Vincent Formosa; sisters, Dancetta (Henry) Kamai, Alison (Kaia) Lopez and Tyanne Formosa; 22 nieces and nephews; and 13 grandnieces and grandnephews.
There is a beautiful video tribute to Mackey that was made by a news station with the help of his sister. She talks about how she has used butterflies as a way of coping with the tragic loss of her brother.
Mackey's Website
Hawaii now had an insatiable appetite for this dynamic surf-rock group and one member in particular was the one we all noticed - Mackey Feary, Jr. In fact, one only had to say "Mackey" and you knew who they meant. His distinctive voice was easily recognizable and his music touched the hearts of those who were in love (or wanted to be). By the age of 20, Mackey had arrived.
For almost 30 years, we were privileged to receive the gifts of a remarkably talented man - his music brought pleasure and joy to more people than even he could have imagined. He is, and will remain one of Hawaii's favorite sons and a true legend. Mackey's spirit lives on in the music he left behind and his legacy is one that will be cherished by this generation and admired by all those to come.
Mackey struggled with crystal methamphetamine addiction, hanged himself in his cell at the Halawa Correctional Facility. His death sparked a debate about substance abuse treatment and incarcerating offenders with the idea that people struggling with drug addiction and depression should get medical treatment instead of prison sentences which in Mackey's case was a death sentence.
His family successfully sued the State of Hawaii saying prison officials failed to take suicide precautions with Feary even though there were signs he was a suicide risk. They also said a prison guard ordered inmates to stop performing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation on Feary after they found him hanging.
Mackey is survived by a son, Sebastian; parents, Bryant Mackey Sr. and Renee Feary of Nashville, Tenn., and Edwin Uyehara; brothers, Frank (Cindy), Rodney Feary, Tony (Dana), Nickey Anthony and Vincent Formosa; sisters, Dancetta (Henry) Kamai, Alison (Kaia) Lopez and Tyanne Formosa; 22 nieces and nephews; and 13 grandnieces and grandnephews.
There is a beautiful video tribute to Mackey that was made by a news station with the help of his sister. She talks about how she has used butterflies as a way of coping with the tragic loss of her brother.
Mackey's Website
If you were lucky enough to grow up in Hawaii during the 70s, you witnessed the birth of a new breed of music in the islands. The group Kalapana grabbed our attention and wouldn't let go, taking Hawaii by storm with the release of their first album in 1975.
Hawaii now had an insatiable appetite for this dynamic surf-rock group and one member in particular was the one we all noticed - Mackey Feary, Jr. In fact, one only had to say "Mackey" and you knew who they meant. His distinctive voice was easily recognizable and his music touched the hearts of those who were in love (or wanted to be). By the age of 20, Mackey had arrived.
For almost 30 years, we were privileged to receive the gifts of a remarkably talented man - his music brought pleasure and joy to more people than even he could have imagined. He is, and will remain one of Hawaii's favorite sons and a true legend. Mackey's spirit lives on in the music he left behind and his legacy is one that will be cherished by this generation and admired by all those to come.
Mackey struggled with crystal methamphetamine addiction, hanged himself in his cell at the Halawa Correctional Facility. His death sparked a debate about substance abuse treatment and incarcerating offenders with the idea that people struggling with drug addiction and depression should get medical treatment instead of prison sentences which in Mackey's case was a death sentence.
His family successfully sued the State of Hawaii saying prison officials failed to take suicide precautions with Feary even though there were signs he was a suicide risk. They also said a prison guard ordered inmates to stop performing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation on Feary after they found him hanging.
Mackey is survived by a son, Sebastian; parents, Bryant Mackey Sr. and Renee Feary of Nashville, Tenn., and Edwin Uyehara; brothers, Frank (Cindy), Rodney Feary, Tony (Dana), Nickey Anthony and Vincent Formosa; sisters, Dancetta (Henry) Kamai, Alison (Kaia) Lopez and Tyanne Formosa; 22 nieces and nephews; and 13 grandnieces and grandnephews.
There is a beautiful video tribute to Mackey that was made by a news station with the help of his sister. She talks about how she has used butterflies as a way of coping with the tragic loss of her brother.
Mackey's Website
Hawaii now had an insatiable appetite for this dynamic surf-rock group and one member in particular was the one we all noticed - Mackey Feary, Jr. In fact, one only had to say "Mackey" and you knew who they meant. His distinctive voice was easily recognizable and his music touched the hearts of those who were in love (or wanted to be). By the age of 20, Mackey had arrived.
For almost 30 years, we were privileged to receive the gifts of a remarkably talented man - his music brought pleasure and joy to more people than even he could have imagined. He is, and will remain one of Hawaii's favorite sons and a true legend. Mackey's spirit lives on in the music he left behind and his legacy is one that will be cherished by this generation and admired by all those to come.
Mackey struggled with crystal methamphetamine addiction, hanged himself in his cell at the Halawa Correctional Facility. His death sparked a debate about substance abuse treatment and incarcerating offenders with the idea that people struggling with drug addiction and depression should get medical treatment instead of prison sentences which in Mackey's case was a death sentence.
His family successfully sued the State of Hawaii saying prison officials failed to take suicide precautions with Feary even though there were signs he was a suicide risk. They also said a prison guard ordered inmates to stop performing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation on Feary after they found him hanging.
Mackey is survived by a son, Sebastian; parents, Bryant Mackey Sr. and Renee Feary of Nashville, Tenn., and Edwin Uyehara; brothers, Frank (Cindy), Rodney Feary, Tony (Dana), Nickey Anthony and Vincent Formosa; sisters, Dancetta (Henry) Kamai, Alison (Kaia) Lopez and Tyanne Formosa; 22 nieces and nephews; and 13 grandnieces and grandnephews.
There is a beautiful video tribute to Mackey that was made by a news station with the help of his sister. She talks about how she has used butterflies as a way of coping with the tragic loss of her brother.
Mackey's Website
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