The singer-guitarist had a dynamic career and was most notably a member of the iconic reggae band Herbs.
In a social media post, which has since been verified by several of Hona's friends, Hona's daughter, Natalie Hona, said her father died on Sunday evening surrounded by his whānau in Paraparaumu.
His death comes after a battle with cancer.
Hona's friends, including former Herbs bandmate Toni Fonoti, have paid tribute to him on social media.
An AudioCulture biography by Glen Moffatt stated that Hona formed his first band The Vibrations in high school, where his guitar was made from an old desktop with the neck of an Antoria guitar.
From there he formed the band The Face together with musicians including New Zealander Mark Williams.
Hona joined Herbs in 1983. He appeared on several singles, such as the top ten songs 'Slice of Heaven' (Dave Dobbyn featuring Herbs) and 'Sensitive to a Smile'.
AudioCulture said that after Hona left the band in late 1988, he toured on his own and released the album Keep An Open Heart.
In 2012, Hona was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame as part of Herbs.