For five decades, Tom Moffatt has been at the center of Hawai'i's radio and entertainment world; his autobiography, "The Showman of the Pacific: 50 Years of Radio and Rock Stars," is a vivid recapitulation of his place in local broadcast and music history.

As a deejay and promoter, he played, booked and befriended scores of musical greats. He often sealed deals with a handshake ("I still do," he says); and he has remained a fan — and in many instances, a friend — of many he worked with.

We asked him Five Questions about his colorful past; he also managed to whittle down hundreds of shows to admit his favorite three.

Q. Why are you finally telling and sharing your story?

A. Watermark Publishing approached me on it; they got me interested. I hadn't planned on doing a book, because I did a much smaller version earlier, but they wanted a coffee-table book and started mentioning co-authors. I selected Jerry Hopkins for his knowledge of rock and Hawai'i, and he's a hell of a writer anyway; I made three trips to Bangkok, where he now lives, and each time, we spent hours chatting. He asked questions, I answered; often, a response provoked another story. He recorded everything and formatted the book, and made it sound like me talking. It was a chance to relive the memories.

Q. You've kept a ton of posters, pictures and memorabilia over the years; have you ever set out to put a value on what you own and have collected over the years?

A. I haven't. It's worth something, I know. One fellow came in (and) bought the whole Bill Graham collection. ... I have contracts, letters, some termite-eaten; the (artists') signatures are all there. I have a huge thing made by the Swinging Lovers Fan Club, which I framed, and it has signatures of Ritchie Valens, Bobby Darin who are not around anymore, and a lot more. I don't throw anything out; I've kept just about everything.

Q. In a business that frequently includes heisters and fly-by-nighters, you have been a constant fixture; to what do you owe this longevity, this trust, this long track record?

A. I have lived here most of my life; I love the people of Hawai'i. I love being here and when I do a concert, I always try to bring in the right people to keep everyone happy, both artists and audiences. Consequently, most of the performers have returned (for more shows). The most important thing, really, is sealing the marriage between audience and performer; when that happens, it's really exciting. Longevity comes from knowing the market. Besides Hawai'i, I have done shows and have become familiar with the market in the South Pacific, Guam and the Philippines ... which, for some reason, are very much like Hawai'i.

Q. Looking back at your livelihood, name three of the most exciting shows you've done, and why.

A. The first Elvis show at the old stadium is the one I remember best; it was the magnitude of the performer, a prime example of a great act. You have all the tech help now, and all Elvis had in those days were lights from a boxing ring and spotlights. When he did the encore, "Hound Dog," and jumped off the stage and fell on his knees, it was the ultimate. He was the first rock star, the first superstar, and that was a special moment. I'd also have to say the Rolling Stones' Bridges to Babylon concert had to be special, too, at Aloha Stadium in 1998. When the Stones walked over that bridge to that stage, it was something. And third, I'd have to say Whitney Houston at Aloha Stadium; when she sang "I Will Always Love You," I took the elevator to the top of the stadium and from there, it was a chicken-skin moment.

Q. Among the living, who would you still like to book and promote? And of those that have died?

A. I've always wanted to present Roy Orbison; he did work here, with a promoter from Australia and England; I disagreed about his doing two concerts at the Sheraton Waikiki; one would have been enough, because he played to two half-houses. I wish Sam Cooke would have lived; I did him at the Show of Stars (at the defunct Civic Auditorium) and we became close friends; he would still be a great draw had he lived. I would love to present Madonna in a stadium show. And of the young singers, I think Michael Buble will be around for awhile. One of the groups I keep booking is Earth, Wind & Fire, who are really a Hawai'i group, bigger here than any other market, always good for a sellout. And since no Beatle has ever performed here, I'd love to get Paul McCartney; I have good friends who book him in Japan and the U.S., so maybe we can get a concert at the stadium someday.

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.