Justin Hawkins
Encyclopedia
Justin David Hawkins is an English
musician
and singer-songwriter
, best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist of The Darkness, alongside his brother, guitarist Dan Hawkins
. Heavily influenced by classic hard rock
and glam metal
bands of the 1970s and 1980s (particularly Queen
, Def Leppard
and AC/DC
), Hawkins is noted for his soaring falsetto
and his charismatic persona, often displaying an exaggerated degree of flamboyance and camp humour
on stage. He was also the lead singer and guitarist for the band Hot Leg
, formed in 2008, and now on hiatus. Since 2005 he is also active in his synthpop
alter ego British Whale
.
, Surrey
, and grew up in Lowestoft
, near Oulton Broad
. He studied at Kirkley High School; he left part-way through his 'A' Levels to study Music Technology at Huddersfield
Technical College while living in Sowerby Bridge
near Halifax
, West Yorkshire
. His brother Dan Hawkins
was the lead guitarist of Stone Gods
.
Before his success with The Darkness, Hawkins was known for writing and singing the "Schlomp" advert jingle for Ikea.
Hawkins is an accomplished lead guitarist, which he would occasionally display while performing with the Darkness, particularly in b-side song Bareback. However, his potential as a frontman was recognised by his brother when he did an impressive recreation of Queen's
"Bohemian Rhapsody
" at a New Year's Eve party in 1999, despite the fact that Hawkins was only miming to the original song. Hawkins fully developed his love of rock music while playing with the now defunct heavy metal band The Commander (Justin "Turbo" Hawkins, Rico Musson, Shaggy Forley, David "Growy" Owens, Jim Lee & Richard "Beaky" Bedford
d). They are affectionately credited on The Darkness' debut album Permission to Land
.
. Their debut album, Permission to Land
, went straight to number two in the UK charts upon its release on 7 July 2003, before going to number one and staying there for four weeks, eventually going on to sell 1.5 million copies in the UK. 3.5m copies over all. The Darkness took inspiration for some of their work from the local north Suffolk area, including "Black Shuck
" which mentions the nearby village of Blythburgh
. The success of this album led to heavy touring for the band, including European portions of Metallica
's Summer Sanitarium Tour 2003. They then went on to headline the Carling Festival in 2004. The band won three BRIT Awards
in 2004 in response to the album, Best Group, Best Rock Group and Best Album. They also won two Kerrang!
awards in 2004 for Best Live Act and Best British Band. The third single from the album, "I Believe in a Thing Called Love
", was a substantial hit in the UK as was their tilt at the Christmas 2003 number 1, "Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)
", which only just fell short, both singles reaching No.2 in 2003.
By late 2004 the band's constant media coverage had started to lead to a general public backlash, and Hawkins and the band themselves seemed to show signs that they were disillusioned with their constant media appearances, infamously walking off of an episode of the U.S.-nationally-syndicated radio talk show
Loveline
on 19 April 2004. Ultimately, the band responded to criticism by touring the UK on their Winter-National Tour. One part of the show included Hawkins climbing upon a life-sized tiger during "Love on the Rocks with No Ice" and being elevated above the audience whilst playing guitar.
In October 2005, a month before the album One Way Ticket to Hell... And Back was to be officially released, Hawkins won an eBay
auction for a copy of One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back for £350 under the username 'turbogunhawk'. He claimed he did this so that he could track down whoever sold the digitally-marked advance copy of the album and try to prevent it from happening again.
"One Way Ticket", the first single from their second album, was released on 14 November 2005, debuting and peaking at number 8 on the UK Singles chart. The album itself was released on 28 November 2005, to somewhat mixed reviews. The album was produced by rock producer Roy Thomas Baker
, best known for his work with Queen
. Early sales figures in the UK showed the album had not sold as well its predecessor, Permission to Land
. The album debuted at number 11, and fell to number 34 in the second week of its release. Although it went on to achieve platinum status, this was in stark contrast with their debut's five times platinum status.
The second single taken from their second album was "Is It Just Me?", released on 20 February 2006. The single gained a preliminary position of No. 6 all that week, but finally charted at number 8. Hawkins announced when on stage that their third single to be released from the album was "Girlfriend". Released 22 May, "Girlfriend" charted at number 39.
The band followed up their second album with a tour of the UK and Ireland, consisting of 12 dates in the major cities. The tour opened in Dublin's Point Depot
on 4 February and closed in the Nottingham Arena on 20 February. Few of the venues sold out, their appeal seemingly having become more selective. Their world tour, which followed, arrived in Australia
and Japan
after touring Scandinavia and Continental Europe in March.
In October 2006, Hawkins left The Darkness. Although drug and alcohol problems were initially cited as the main reason, later on national television, Hawkins would claim that he had grown tired of the constant routine of the band, recording and promoting an album, going on tours for months, back in the studio, etc. which he considered "monotonous and boring" and "could not understand how bands like the Rolling Stones could sustain it".
. His debut single, "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us
", a cover of the 1974 hit by Sparks
, was released on 15 August and reached #6 on the UK Singles Chart
. In 2006 Hawkins released a second single, available only to download, an unofficial World Cup
anthem called "England
".
Hawkins sang backing vocals on Sweet
's song "Hell Raiser" for Def Leppard
's 2006 covers album Yeah!.
In early 2007, he became half of one of six acts competing to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest
competition in Helsinki
in a duet with singer Beverlei Brown
. He entered Making Your Mind Up
with Beverlei Brown
singing a song entitled "They Don’t Make 'Em Like They Used To" but did not win the competition.
On 16 March 2007, he appeared on the Comic Relief evening during the half-hour Top Gear of the Pops
programme. This saw him performing Billy Ocean
's "Red Light Spells Danger" with the three Top Gear
presenters.
Later that month, on 29 March, Hawkins created a new MySpace
profile featuring songs which were planned to be included on his upcoming solo album entitled Panther. The songs are titled "You Can't Hurt Me Anymore", "I've Met Jesus" and "Whichever". On 12 May, Hawkins added a further song to his profile; "Gay In The 80's", to appear on the same album. Later, on 13 July, he removed all the songs, and mentioned "You'll just have to wait." He later announced a new band line-up and name - Hot Leg
. The aforementioned songs featured on the Hot Leg album 'Red Light Fever'.
Hawkins also announced that he had been participating in the recording of two Magnet Watch albums entitled Nude Horizon and Party Party Time Time. On 8 November 2007 3:00am Hawkins posted a MySpace blog containing directions to Do the Green Thing, an organisation for which he has composed a new song "Do It In The Dark", to accompany a short film which encourages people to switch off and save energy. The song has not been released as a single, but is available as a free download.
There is a wax model of Hawkins at Madame Tussaud's in London.
Hawkins supplied the singing and guitar playing for "Kurtz", the lead singer of the "bad guy band" Mantyz in the BBC's animated series Freefonix
, which debuted 4 January 2008.
In the film Telstar
, a film about Joe Meek
's life and career that was released on June 19, 2009, he played the role of Screaming Lord Sutch
.
With Hot Leg
in November 2008, he toured the UK supporting Alter Bridge
(November 4–13) and Extreme
(November 14–24).
Hawkins has also worked with British pop-rock band Saving Aimee
, having recently completed producing their debut album. He also lent his 'truth larynx' to the track "Party All Day (Fuck All Night)" guesting on the latest Steel Panther
release, Feel the Steel
. Hawkins recently worked with Adam Lambert
on the track "Music Again" off his debut album.
Hawkins also appeared on the Meat Loaf
album, Hang Cool Teddy Bear
, where he co-wrote two songs ("Love Is Not Real" and "California Isn't Big Enough"). He also provided guitar on "California Isn't Big Enough" and backing vocals on "Love Is Not Real" and "Los Angeloser".
Hawkins have now reunited with the original line up of The Darkness, and they are in the process of recording there third album at Leeder's Farm studio.
, a rehabilitation clinic. On 11 October 2006 Hawkins revealed spending £150,000 in three years on cocaine
(which works out at about 3g per day) after entering the charts in 2003 with their single "I Believe in a Thing Called Love
".
s almost exclusively. He is most commonly seen playing an alpine white model which he used with The Darkness (as seen in I Believe in a Thing Called Love
& Love is Only a Feeling
videos), and is still seen used with Hot Leg
. He is also seen using a black Gibson Les Paul Custom, a custom painted blue Les Paul standard airbrushed with the mythical dog Black Shuck and Blythburgh church. It is rare to see him use another guitar, although he can be seen playing a custom Ibanez Jem
for the song "Bald". It is also notable that Hawkins made use of Mesa Boogie
dual and triple rectifier amplifiers rather than Marshall Amplification
when performing with The Darkness. The stacks he was using had custom-made speaker cabs coated in red leather. During his time in Hot Leg
he was exclusively seen using Cornford MK50H II's in white vinyl with two Cornford, 16-ohm, 4x12 cabinets loaded with Celestion "Vintage 30s". He also had a limited run of Justin Hawkins signature Les Paul Customs based on the '68 RI with abalone and mother of pearl "flame" inlays on the fretboard, a sparkle finish in either Silverburst or Pinkburst (Although a Blueburst and Redburst has been pictured, as well as a one off Gold Mirror finish done by SimS Custom Guitars). On 8 January 2005 Justin donated his custom Gibson redburst guitar to The Sun's great Tsunami Earthquake Appeal online auction. Since The Darkness reformation he has been seen using multiple modified Marshall 1959
Plexi guitar amps with a boosted gain stage, as for pedals, he's confirmed on Twitter that during solos he uses an Ibanez Tube Screamer
or modified Boss
distortion pedal.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist of The Darkness, alongside his brother, guitarist Dan Hawkins
Dan Hawkins (musician)
Daniel Francis Hawkins is an English rock guitarist, noted for his strong revival of 1970s classic rock and 1980s metal....
. Heavily influenced by classic hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
and glam metal
Glam metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...
bands of the 1970s and 1980s (particularly Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
and AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
), Hawkins is noted for his soaring falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
and his charismatic persona, often displaying an exaggerated degree of flamboyance and camp humour
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
on stage. He was also the lead singer and guitarist for the band Hot Leg
Hot Leg
Hot Leg is an English glam metal band led by former The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins. The band consists of Hawkins, Pete Rinaldi , Samuel SJ Stokes and Darby Todd...
, formed in 2008, and now on hiatus. Since 2005 he is also active in his synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
alter ego British Whale
British Whale
British Whale is the solo alias of the singer/guitarist/keyboardist Justin Hawkins.-History:To date British Whale has released two singles. The first, in 2005, was a cover of Sparks' 1974 UK hit, "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us". British Whale's version reached #6 in the UK Singles Chart...
.
Early life and background
Hawkins was born in ChertseyChertsey
Chertsey is a town in Surrey, England, on the River Thames and its tributary rivers such as the River Bourne. It can be accessed by road from junction 11 of the M25 London orbital motorway. It shares borders with Staines, Laleham, Shepperton, Addlestone, Woking, Thorpe and Egham...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, and grew up in Lowestoft
Lowestoft
Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich...
, near Oulton Broad
Oulton Broad
Oulton Broad refers to both the lake and the suburb of Lowestoft in Suffolk, England located 2 miles west of the centre of the town.-Oulton Broad:...
. He studied at Kirkley High School; he left part-way through his 'A' Levels to study Music Technology at Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
Technical College while living in Sowerby Bridge
Sowerby Bridge
Sowerby Bridge is a market town that lies within the Upper Calder Valley in the district of Calderdale in the county of West Yorkshire, in northern England.-Geography:Sowerby Bridge is situated on the edge of Halifax, about three miles from its centre...
near Halifax
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
. His brother Dan Hawkins
Dan Hawkins (musician)
Daniel Francis Hawkins is an English rock guitarist, noted for his strong revival of 1970s classic rock and 1980s metal....
was the lead guitarist of Stone Gods
Stone Gods
Stone Gods were a British hard rock / heavy metal band formed by ex-members of the then defunct UK hard rock band The Darkness. Their debut album, titled Silver Spoons & Broken Bones, was released on 7 July 2008, with the first single "Knight of the Living Dead" being released on 23 June 2008...
.
Before his success with The Darkness, Hawkins was known for writing and singing the "Schlomp" advert jingle for Ikea.
Hawkins is an accomplished lead guitarist, which he would occasionally display while performing with the Darkness, particularly in b-side song Bareback. However, his potential as a frontman was recognised by his brother when he did an impressive recreation of Queen's
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
"Bohemian Rhapsody
Bohemian Rhapsody
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera...
" at a New Year's Eve party in 1999, despite the fact that Hawkins was only miming to the original song. Hawkins fully developed his love of rock music while playing with the now defunct heavy metal band The Commander (Justin "Turbo" Hawkins, Rico Musson, Shaggy Forley, David "Growy" Owens, Jim Lee & Richard "Beaky" Bedford
Richard Bedford
Richard Bedford is a British singer-songwriter, from Halifax, West Yorkshire. Richard is best known for his vocal work with Above & Beyond on their 2006 album Tri-State, their 2011 album Group Therapy, IDMA Nominated single 'Alone Tonight' and current crossover hit "Thing Called Love"...
d). They are affectionately credited on The Darkness' debut album Permission to Land
Permission to Land
Permission to Land is the debut studio album by British hard rock band The Darkness, released in the United Kingdom on 7 July 2003 and in the United States on 5 August 2003. The album topped the UK Albums Chart and reached number thirty-six on the American Billboard 200 chart...
.
The Darkness
Hawkins began playing clubs and pubs with the Darkness until they were signed by record label Atlantic RecordsAtlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
. Their debut album, Permission to Land
Permission to Land
Permission to Land is the debut studio album by British hard rock band The Darkness, released in the United Kingdom on 7 July 2003 and in the United States on 5 August 2003. The album topped the UK Albums Chart and reached number thirty-six on the American Billboard 200 chart...
, went straight to number two in the UK charts upon its release on 7 July 2003, before going to number one and staying there for four weeks, eventually going on to sell 1.5 million copies in the UK. 3.5m copies over all. The Darkness took inspiration for some of their work from the local north Suffolk area, including "Black Shuck
Black Shuck
Black Shuck, Old Shuck, Old Shock or simply Shuck is the name given to a ghostly black dog which is said to roam the coastline and countryside of East Anglia...
" which mentions the nearby village of Blythburgh
Blythburgh
Blythburgh is a small English village in an area known as the Sandlings, part of the Suffolk heritage coast. Located close to an area of flooded marshland and mud-flats, in 2007 its population was estimated to be 300. Blythburgh is best known for its church, Holy Trinity, internationally known as...
. The success of this album led to heavy touring for the band, including European portions of Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
's Summer Sanitarium Tour 2003. They then went on to headline the Carling Festival in 2004. The band won three BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
in 2004 in response to the album, Best Group, Best Rock Group and Best Album. They also won two Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
awards in 2004 for Best Live Act and Best British Band. The third single from the album, "I Believe in a Thing Called Love
I Believe in a Thing Called Love
"I Believe in a Thing Called Love" is a 2003 single by the English rock band The Darkness. This was released as a single twice, the first time in August 2002 with "Love On The Rocks With No Ice" and "Love Is Only A Feeling." In September 2003, it was released as the third single off Permission to...
", was a substantial hit in the UK as was their tilt at the Christmas 2003 number 1, "Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)
Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)
"Christmas Time " is a single released by The Darkness in the UK during December 2003, to fall in with the famous UK Christmas Number One Race.-Race for Christmas #1:...
", which only just fell short, both singles reaching No.2 in 2003.
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
Loveline
Loveline
Loveline is a syndicated radio call-in program in North America, offering medical and relationship advice to listeners, often with the assistance of guests, typically actors and musicians. Its flagship station is KROQ-FM in Los Angeles....
on 19 April 2004. Ultimately, the band responded to criticism by touring the UK on their Winter-National Tour. One part of the show included Hawkins climbing upon a life-sized tiger during "Love on the Rocks with No Ice" and being elevated above the audience whilst playing guitar.
In October 2005, a month before the album One Way Ticket to Hell... And Back was to be officially released, Hawkins won an eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
auction for a copy of One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back for £350 under the username 'turbogunhawk'. He claimed he did this so that he could track down whoever sold the digitally-marked advance copy of the album and try to prevent it from happening again.
"One Way Ticket", the first single from their second album, was released on 14 November 2005, debuting and peaking at number 8 on the UK Singles chart. The album itself was released on 28 November 2005, to somewhat mixed reviews. The album was produced by rock producer Roy Thomas Baker
Roy Thomas Baker
Roy Thomas Baker is a multiple award-winning Anglo-American music producer, songwriter, arranger and Recording Academy Governor, who has produced Platinum and Gold certified pop and rock records from the 1970s to the present.- Career :Baker began his career at Decca Records in England at the age...
, best known for his work with Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
. Early sales figures in the UK showed the album had not sold as well its predecessor, Permission to Land
Permission to Land
Permission to Land is the debut studio album by British hard rock band The Darkness, released in the United Kingdom on 7 July 2003 and in the United States on 5 August 2003. The album topped the UK Albums Chart and reached number thirty-six on the American Billboard 200 chart...
. The album debuted at number 11, and fell to number 34 in the second week of its release. Although it went on to achieve platinum status, this was in stark contrast with their debut's five times platinum status.
The band followed up their second album with a tour of the UK and Ireland, consisting of 12 dates in the major cities. The tour opened in Dublin's Point Depot
Point Theatre
The Point Theatre was a concert and events venue in Ireland, that ran from 1988–2007, enjoyed by in excess of 2 million people. It was located on the North Wall Quay of the River Liffey, amongst the Dublin Docklands...
on 4 February and closed in the Nottingham Arena on 20 February. Few of the venues sold out, their appeal seemingly having become more selective. Their world tour, which followed, arrived in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
after touring Scandinavia and Continental Europe in March.
In October 2006, Hawkins left The Darkness. Although drug and alcohol problems were initially cited as the main reason, later on national television, Hawkins would claim that he had grown tired of the constant routine of the band, recording and promoting an album, going on tours for months, back in the studio, etc. which he considered "monotonous and boring" and "could not understand how bands like the Rolling Stones could sustain it".
Other projects
In 2005, Hawkins set up a solo project, called British WhaleBritish Whale
British Whale is the solo alias of the singer/guitarist/keyboardist Justin Hawkins.-History:To date British Whale has released two singles. The first, in 2005, was a cover of Sparks' 1974 UK hit, "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us". British Whale's version reached #6 in the UK Singles Chart...
. His debut single, "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us
This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us
"This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" is a song written by Ron Mael of the American pop group Sparks. It is the opening track on their 1974 album Kimono My House, and was the lead single from the album, reaching number two in the UK singles chart....
", a cover of the 1974 hit by Sparks
Sparks (band)
Sparks is an American rock and pop band formed in Los Angeles in 1968 by brothers Ron and Russell Mael , initially under the name Halfnelson...
, was released on 15 August and reached #6 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. In 2006 Hawkins released a second single, available only to download, an unofficial World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
anthem called "England
England (song)
"England" is a song written by Justin Hawkins from The Darkness & Chas Bayfield and released by him under the name British Whale and used as the unofficial World Cup single for the England National Team in 2006...
".
Hawkins sang backing vocals on Sweet
Sweet (band)
Sweet was a British rock band that rose to worldwide fame in the 1970s as one of the most prominent glam rock acts, with the classic line-up of lead vocalist Brian Connolly, bass player Steve Priest, guitarist Andy Scott, and drummer Mick Tucker.Sweet was formed in 1968 and achieved their first...
's song "Hell Raiser" for Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
's 2006 covers album Yeah!.
In early 2007, he became half of one of six acts competing to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
competition in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
in a duet with singer Beverlei Brown
Beverlei Brown
Beverlei Brown is a singer that in 2007 sang a duet with Justin Hawkins in their "Making Your Mind Up" entry in hope of representing the UK in Eurovision Song Contest 2007...
. He entered Making Your Mind Up
Making Your Mind Up (TV series)
Eurovision: Your Country Needs You was a BBC TV show broadcast annually to select the United Kingdom's entry into the Eurovision Song Contest...
with Beverlei Brown
Beverlei Brown
Beverlei Brown is a singer that in 2007 sang a duet with Justin Hawkins in their "Making Your Mind Up" entry in hope of representing the UK in Eurovision Song Contest 2007...
singing a song entitled "They Don’t Make 'Em Like They Used To" but did not win the competition.
On 16 March 2007, he appeared on the Comic Relief evening during the half-hour Top Gear of the Pops
Top Gear of the Pops
Top Gear of the Pops was a one-off special of Top Gear, broadcast in the evening on 16 March 2007. It was shown as part of the Comic Relief 2007 appeal, mixing the usual elements of Top Gear with Top of the Pops, the music chart show that was cancelled in 2006...
programme. This saw him performing Billy Ocean
Billy Ocean
Billy Ocean is a Trinidad-born English Grammy Award winning popular music performer who had a string of rhythm and blues international pop hits in the 1970s and 1980s. He was the most popular British-based R&B singer / songwriter of the early to mid-1980s...
's "Red Light Spells Danger" with the three Top Gear
Top Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
presenters.
Later that month, on 29 March, Hawkins created a new MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
profile featuring songs which were planned to be included on his upcoming solo album entitled Panther. The songs are titled "You Can't Hurt Me Anymore", "I've Met Jesus" and "Whichever". On 12 May, Hawkins added a further song to his profile; "Gay In The 80's", to appear on the same album. Later, on 13 July, he removed all the songs, and mentioned "You'll just have to wait." He later announced a new band line-up and name - Hot Leg
Hot Leg
Hot Leg is an English glam metal band led by former The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins. The band consists of Hawkins, Pete Rinaldi , Samuel SJ Stokes and Darby Todd...
. The aforementioned songs featured on the Hot Leg album 'Red Light Fever'.
Hawkins also announced that he had been participating in the recording of two Magnet Watch albums entitled Nude Horizon and Party Party Time Time. On 8 November 2007 3:00am Hawkins posted a MySpace blog containing directions to Do the Green Thing, an organisation for which he has composed a new song "Do It In The Dark", to accompany a short film which encourages people to switch off and save energy. The song has not been released as a single, but is available as a free download.
There is a wax model of Hawkins at Madame Tussaud's in London.
Hawkins supplied the singing and guitar playing for "Kurtz", the lead singer of the "bad guy band" Mantyz in the BBC's animated series Freefonix
Freefonix
Freefonix is a CGI animated television series about the adventures of fictional band of the same name. To date, the show consists of 40 half hour episodes. The series was launched on January 4, 2008 and was aired as part of the CBBC strand on BBC1. The first 20 episodes aired on BBC2 during...
, which debuted 4 January 2008.
In the film Telstar
Telstar (film)
Telstar is a film adaptation of James Hicks' play of the same name. It stars Con O'Neill as Joe Meek and Kevin Spacey as Meek's business advisor, Major Banks...
, a film about Joe Meek
Joe Meek
Robert George "Joe" Meek was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter....
's life and career that was released on June 19, 2009, he played the role of Screaming Lord Sutch
Screaming Lord Sutch
David Edward Sutch , also known as "Screaming Lord Sutch, 3rd Earl of Harrow", or simply "Screaming Lord Sutch", was a musician from the United Kingdom...
.
With Hot Leg
Hot Leg
Hot Leg is an English glam metal band led by former The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins. The band consists of Hawkins, Pete Rinaldi , Samuel SJ Stokes and Darby Todd...
in November 2008, he toured the UK supporting Alter Bridge
Alter Bridge
Alter Bridge is an American rock band that was formed in 2004 in Orlando, Florida by lead guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall, and drummer Scott Phillips, who are all also members of Creed. Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Myles Kennedy, formerly of The Mayfield Four and the frontman...
(November 4–13) and Extreme
Extreme (band)
Extreme is an American rock band, headed by frontmen Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt, that reached the height of their popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s.Among some of Extreme's musical influences are Queen and Van Halen...
(November 14–24).
Hawkins has also worked with British pop-rock band Saving Aimee
Saving Aimee
Saving Aimee were a British pop/rock band from Hertfordshire. The band toured extensively for four years, released three singles and an album. On 14 December 2009 the band went on an indefinite hiatus.-History:...
, having recently completed producing their debut album. He also lent his 'truth larynx' to the track "Party All Day (Fuck All Night)" guesting on the latest Steel Panther
Steel Panther
Steel Panther is a glam metal band from Los Angeles, California mostly known for their profane and humorous lyrics as well as their exaggerated on-stage personas...
release, Feel the Steel
Feel the Steel
Feel the Steel is the second album by hard rock/glam metal band Steel Panther, and their debut major label release. The tracks "Fat Girl", "Stripper Girl" and "Hell's On Fire" are re-recordings from the 2003 debut album Hole Patrol while "Death to All But Metal" is a re-recording from their 2004...
. Hawkins recently worked with Adam Lambert
Adam Lambert
Adam Mitchel Lambert is an American singer, songwriter, and actor from San Diego, California. In May 2009, he finished as the runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol...
on the track "Music Again" off his debut album.
Hawkins also appeared on the Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
album, Hang Cool Teddy Bear
Hang Cool Teddy Bear
-Disc 2: Tour Edition:During Meat Loaf's 2010 UK tour, a special two-disc tour edition was given out. The second disc included four songs recorded live at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey, on July 16, 2010.-Reception:...
, where he co-wrote two songs ("Love Is Not Real" and "California Isn't Big Enough"). He also provided guitar on "California Isn't Big Enough" and backing vocals on "Love Is Not Real" and "Los Angeloser".
Hawkins have now reunited with the original line up of The Darkness, and they are in the process of recording there third album at Leeder's Farm studio.
Personal life
In August 2006 it was reported (and later confirmed by The Darkness' management) that Hawkins had been admitted to The PrioryPriory Group
The Priory Group is an independent provider of mental health care facilities in the United Kingdom. They also manage schools, some for students with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism...
, a rehabilitation clinic. On 11 October 2006 Hawkins revealed spending £150,000 in three years on cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
(which works out at about 3g per day) after entering the charts in 2003 with their single "I Believe in a Thing Called Love
I Believe in a Thing Called Love
"I Believe in a Thing Called Love" is a 2003 single by the English rock band The Darkness. This was released as a single twice, the first time in August 2002 with "Love On The Rocks With No Ice" and "Love Is Only A Feeling." In September 2003, it was released as the third single off Permission to...
".
Equipment
Hawkins is seen playing Gibson Les Paul CustomGibson Les Paul Custom
The Gibson Les Paul Custom is a higher end variation of the Gibson Les Paul guitar. It was developed in 1954 after Gibson had introduced the Les Paul model in 1952.-Notable Les Paul Custom players:...
s almost exclusively. He is most commonly seen playing an alpine white model which he used with The Darkness (as seen in I Believe in a Thing Called Love
I Believe in a Thing Called Love
"I Believe in a Thing Called Love" is a 2003 single by the English rock band The Darkness. This was released as a single twice, the first time in August 2002 with "Love On The Rocks With No Ice" and "Love Is Only A Feeling." In September 2003, it was released as the third single off Permission to...
& Love is Only a Feeling
Love Is Only a Feeling
"Love Is Only a Feeling" is a song by the English rock group The Darkness. It is the fifth single by the band overall and the fourth and final single from their debut album Permission to Land...
videos), and is still seen used with Hot Leg
Hot Leg
Hot Leg is an English glam metal band led by former The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins. The band consists of Hawkins, Pete Rinaldi , Samuel SJ Stokes and Darby Todd...
. He is also seen using a black Gibson Les Paul Custom, a custom painted blue Les Paul standard airbrushed with the mythical dog Black Shuck and Blythburgh church. It is rare to see him use another guitar, although he can be seen playing a custom Ibanez Jem
Ibanez JEM
Ibanez JEM is an electric guitar manufactured by Ibanez and first produced in 1987. The guitar's most notable user is its co-designer, Steve Vai. As of 2010, there have been five sub-models of the JEM: the JEM7, JEM77, JEM777, JEM555 and the JEM333...
for the song "Bald". It is also notable that Hawkins made use of Mesa Boogie
Mesa Boogie
Mesa/Boogie is a company in Petaluma, California that makes amplifiers for guitars and basses. It has been in operation since 1969....
dual and triple rectifier amplifiers rather than Marshall Amplification
Marshall Amplification
Marshall Amplification is a British company, founded by drummer Jim Marshall, that designs and manufactures music amplifiers, brands personal headphones/earphones , and, after acquiring Natal Drums, drums and bongos. Marshall amplifiers, and specifically their guitar amplifiers, are among the most...
when performing with The Darkness. The stacks he was using had custom-made speaker cabs coated in red leather. During his time in Hot Leg
Hot Leg
Hot Leg is an English glam metal band led by former The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins. The band consists of Hawkins, Pete Rinaldi , Samuel SJ Stokes and Darby Todd...
he was exclusively seen using Cornford MK50H II's in white vinyl with two Cornford, 16-ohm, 4x12 cabinets loaded with Celestion "Vintage 30s". He also had a limited run of Justin Hawkins signature Les Paul Customs based on the '68 RI with abalone and mother of pearl "flame" inlays on the fretboard, a sparkle finish in either Silverburst or Pinkburst (Although a Blueburst and Redburst has been pictured, as well as a one off Gold Mirror finish done by SimS Custom Guitars). On 8 January 2005 Justin donated his custom Gibson redburst guitar to The Sun's great Tsunami Earthquake Appeal online auction. Since The Darkness reformation he has been seen using multiple modified Marshall 1959
Marshall 1959
The Marshall Super Lead Model 1959 is a guitar amplifier head made by Marshall. One of the famous Marshall Plexis, it was introduced in 1965 and with its associated 4x12" cabinets gave rise to the "Marshall stack."-History:...
Plexi guitar amps with a boosted gain stage, as for pedals, he's confirmed on Twitter that during solos he uses an Ibanez Tube Screamer
Ibanez Tube Screamer
The Ibanez Tube Screamer is a guitar overdrive pedal, made by Ibanez. The pedal has a characteristic mid-boosted tone popular with blues players...
or modified Boss
Boss Corporation
Boss is a manufacturer of effects pedals for electric guitar and bass guitar. It is a division of the Roland Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer that specializes in musical equipment and accessories...
distortion pedal.
See also
- Glam RockGlam rockGlam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
- The Darkness
- Dan HawkinsDan Hawkins (musician)Daniel Francis Hawkins is an English rock guitarist, noted for his strong revival of 1970s classic rock and 1980s metal....
External links
- Official Website of British Whale
- They Don’t Make 'Em Like They Used To MP3 - Justin Hawkins and Beverlei Brown's entry into Making Your Mind Up
- JustinHawkinsRocks.co.uk, UK-Based Fan Site for Justin Hawkins and his projects - The Darkness, Hot Leg & British Whale (Est. 2008)
- outofthedarkness.co.uk, Fan based media website for The Darkness, Stone Gods, Hot Leg and British Whale