Ronnie Hawkins
Encyclopedia
Ronald "Ronnie" Hawkins (born January 10, 1935) is a Juno Award
-winning rockabilly
musician
whose career has spanned more than half a century. Though his career began in Arkansas
, USA
, where he'd been born and raised, it was in Ontario
, Canada
where he found success and settled for most of his life. He is considered highly influential in the establishment and evolution of rock music
in Canada.
Also known as Rompin' Ronnie, Mr. Dynamo or simply The Hawk, Hawkins was one of the key players in the 1960s rock
scene in Toronto, Canada. Throughout his career, Hawkins has performed all across North America
and recorded more than twenty-five albums. His hit songs included covers of Chuck Berry
's "Thirty Days" (entitled "Forty Days" by Hawkins) and Young Jessie
's "Mary Lou", a song about a "gold digging woman". His other well-known recordings are "Who Do You Love?
", "Hey Bo Diddley
", and "Suzie Q", which was written by his cousin, the late rockabilly
artist Dale Hawkins
.
Hawkins is also notable for his role as something of a talent scout and mentor. He played a pivotal role in the establishment of premiere backing musicians via his band, The Hawks. The most successful of those eventually forming The Band
, while other musicians Hawkins had recruited provided the makings of Robbie Lane & The Disciples, Janis Joplin
's Full Tilt Boogie Band
, Crowbar
, Bearfoot
and Skylark
.
, just two days after the birth of Elvis Presley
. At the age of nine, his family moved to nearby Fayetteville, Arkansas
. After graduating from high school, he studied physical education
at the University of Arkansas
where he formed his first band, The Hawks, touring with them throughout Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Hawkins also owned and operated the Rockwood Club in Fayetteville where some of rock and roll
's earliest pioneers came to play including Jerry Lee Lewis
, Carl Perkins
, Roy Orbison
and Conway Twitty
.
Hawkins began touring Canada
in 1958, per Twitty's advice, and his first gig
there was at the Golden Rail Tavern in Hamilton, Ontario
, Ontario
, where he became an overnight success. Hawkins decided to move to Canada, and in 1964, became a permanent resident, eventually making Peterborough
, Ontario his home.
After the move, The Hawks, with the exception of drummer
Levon Helm
, dropped out on Hawkins. Their vacancies were eventually filled by Canadians Robbie Robertson
, Rick Danko
, Richard Manuel
and Garth Hudson
, all hailing from across Southwestern Ontario
. Helm and the rest of those Hawks would leave Hawkins in 1964 to form an act of their own, which eventually came to be named The Band
.
In December 1969 Hawkins hosted John Lennon
and Yoko Ono
for a stay at his Mississauga, Ontario
home during the couple's Peace campaign. John Lennon signed his erotic "Bag One" lithographs during his stay at Hawkins' farm. Lennon also did a radio promo for a Ronnie Hawkins single entitled "Down In The Alley".
In the early 1970s, Hawkins noticed guitarist Pat Travers
performing in Ontario nightclubs, and was so impressed with the young musician that he invited him to join his band. Travers later had a very successful recording career and became one of the most influential guitarists of the 1970s hard rock
genre.
In 1975, Bob Dylan
cast Hawkins as "Bob Dylan" in the movie
, Renaldo and Clara
. The following year he was a featured performer at the Band's Thanksgiving Day farewell concert, which was document
ed in the 1978 film The Last Waltz
. His 1984 LP, Making It Again, garnered him a Juno Award
as Canada's best Country Male Vocalist. In addition to his music, he has also become an accomplished actor, hosting his own television show Honky Tonk in the early 1980s and appearing in such films as Heaven's Gate with his friend Kris Kristofferson
and Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II.
On January 8, 1995, Hawkins celebrated his 60th birthday by throwing a concert at Massey Hall
in Toronto which was documented on the album Let It Rock
. The concert featured performances by Hawkins, Carl Perkins
, Jerry Lee Lewis
, The Band
and Larry Gowan
. Jeff Healy sat in on guitar for most, if not all, of the performances. Hawkins' band, The Hawks, or permutations of it, backed most, if not all, of the acts. All of the musicians performing that night were collectively dubbed "The Rock ‘N’ Roll Orchestra".
In 2002, October 4 was declared "Ronnie Hawkins Day" by the city of Toronto
as he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame
, in recognition of his lifetime contribution to music and his generous support of the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario
and other charitable organizations. Hawkins was inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame at the Canadian Music Industry Awards on 4 March 2004. His pioneering contribution to the genre has also been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
.
In recent years, Hawkins battled pancreatic cancer
. His recovery, attributed to everything from psychic healers to native herbal medicine, is featured in the film, Ronnie Hawkins: Still Alive and Kicking. In 2005, he was awarded an honorary degree
from Laurentian University
. Also Hawkins recently has reissued most of his albums on CD
through Unidisc Music Inc.
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
-winning rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
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....
whose career has spanned more than half a century. Though his career began in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he'd been born and raised, it was in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
where he found success and settled for most of his life. He is considered highly influential in the establishment and evolution of rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
in Canada.
Also known as Rompin' Ronnie, Mr. Dynamo or simply The Hawk, Hawkins was one of the key players in the 1960s rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
scene in Toronto, Canada. Throughout his career, Hawkins has performed all across North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and recorded more than twenty-five albums. His hit songs included covers of Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
's "Thirty Days" (entitled "Forty Days" by Hawkins) and Young Jessie
Young Jessie
Obediah Donnell "Obie" Jessie , is an African American R&B and jazz singer and songwriter. He recorded as Young Jessie in the 1950s and 1960s, and was known for his solo career, work with The Flairs and a brief stint in The Coasters...
's "Mary Lou", a song about a "gold digging woman". His other well-known recordings are "Who Do You Love?
Who Do You Love?
"Who Do You Love?" is a song written and recorded in 1956 by Bo Diddley. The record features Jody Williams, then a member of Bo Diddley's band, on lead guitar.-Legacy:...
", "Hey Bo Diddley
Hey Bo Diddley
"Hey! Bo Diddley" is Bo Diddley's 8th Checker Records single released as a single in April 1957 by Checker Records. The single's b-side was "Mona" .-Recording:...
", and "Suzie Q", which was written by his cousin, the late rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
artist Dale Hawkins
Dale Hawkins
Delmar Allen "Dale" Hawkins was a pioneer American rock singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist who was often called the architect of swamp rock boogie...
.
Hawkins is also notable for his role as something of a talent scout and mentor. He played a pivotal role in the establishment of premiere backing musicians via his band, The Hawks. The most successful of those eventually forming The Band
The Band
The Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
, while other musicians Hawkins had recruited provided the makings of Robbie Lane & The Disciples, Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
's Full Tilt Boogie Band
Full Tilt Boogie Band
Full Tilt Boogie Band was a rock band originally headed by guitarist John Till and then by Janis Joplin until her death in 1970. The band was composed of Till, pianist Richard Bell, bassist Brad Campbell, drummer Clark Pierson, and organist Ken Pearson....
, Crowbar
Crowbar (Canadian band)
Crowbar was a Canadian rock band based in Hamilton, Ontario, probably best known for their 1971 hit "Oh, What a Feeling".- History :From 1969 to 1970, most of the members of the group had been a backup band for Ronnie Hawkins under the name "And Many Others"...
, Bearfoot
Bearfoot (Canadian band)
Bearfoot was a Juno Award-nominated Canadian rock band, founded by Jim Atkinson, Terry Danko, Dwayne Ford, Hugh Brockie and Brian Hilton. Initially going by "Atkinson, Danko and Ford", they changed their name out of practicality and because they didn't want to sound as though they were a law-firm...
and Skylark
Skylark (Canadian band)
Skylark was a former Canadian pop/rock band active from 1971–1973 and based in the Pacific Northwest. The band formed from one of Ronnie Hawkins' backup groups and signed with Capitol Records, releasing a self-titled album in 1972 which spawned three singles...
.
Career
Hawkins was born in 1935 in Huntsville, ArkansasHuntsville, Arkansas
Huntsville is a city in mountainous Madison County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,046 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Madison County. During the American Civil War it was the site of what became known as the Huntsville Massacre...
, just two days after the birth of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. At the age of nine, his family moved to nearby Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
. After graduating from high school, he studied physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
at the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
where he formed his first band, The Hawks, touring with them throughout Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Hawkins also owned and operated the Rockwood Club in Fayetteville where some of rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
's earliest pioneers came to play including Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
, Carl Perkins
Carl Perkins
Carl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...
, Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
and Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty , born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, was an American country music artist. He also had success in early rock and roll, R&B, and pop music. He held the record for the most number one singles of any act with 55 No. 1 Billboard country hits until George Strait broke the record in 2006...
.
Hawkins began touring Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1958, per Twitty's advice, and his first gig
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
there was at the Golden Rail Tavern in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, where he became an overnight success. Hawkins decided to move to Canada, and in 1964, became a permanent resident, eventually making Peterborough
Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...
, Ontario his home.
After the move, The Hawks, with the exception of drummer
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Levon Helm
Levon Helm
Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm , is an American rock multi-instrumentalist and actor who achieved fame as the drummer and frequent lead and backing vocalist for The Band....
, dropped out on Hawkins. Their vacancies were eventually filled by Canadians Robbie Robertson
Robbie Robertson
Robbie Robertson, OC; is a Canadian singer-songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known for his membership as the guitarist and primary songwriter within The Band. He was ranked 59th in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time...
, Rick Danko
Rick Danko
Richard Clare "Rick" Danko was a Canadian musician and singer, best known as a member of The Band.-Early years :...
, Richard Manuel
Richard Manuel
Richard George Manuel was a Canadian composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his contributions to and membership in The Band....
and Garth Hudson
Garth Hudson
Eric Garth Hudson is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist. As the organist, keyboardist and saxophonist for Canadian-American rock group The Band, he was a principal architect of the group's unique sound...
, all hailing from across Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario, centred on the city of London. It extends north to south from the Bruce Peninsula on Lake Huron to the Lake Erie shoreline, and east to south-west roughly from Guelph to Windsor. The region had a population...
. Helm and the rest of those Hawks would leave Hawkins in 1964 to form an act of their own, which eventually came to be named The Band
The Band
The Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
.
In December 1969 Hawkins hosted John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
and Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
for a stay at his Mississauga, Ontario
Mississauga, Ontario
Mississauga is a city in Southern Ontario located in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and in the western part of the Greater Toronto Area. With an estimated population of 734,000, it is Canada's sixth-most populous municipality, and has almost doubled in population in each of the last two decades...
home during the couple's Peace campaign. John Lennon signed his erotic "Bag One" lithographs during his stay at Hawkins' farm. Lennon also did a radio promo for a Ronnie Hawkins single entitled "Down In The Alley".
In the early 1970s, Hawkins noticed guitarist Pat Travers
Pat Travers
Patrick Henry "Pat" Travers is a Canadian rock guitarist, keyboardist and singer who began his recording career with Polydor Records in the mid-1970s...
performing in Ontario nightclubs, and was so impressed with the young musician that he invited him to join his band. Travers later had a very successful recording career and became one of the most influential guitarists of the 1970s 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...
genre.
In 1975, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
cast Hawkins as "Bob Dylan" in the movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Renaldo and Clara
Renaldo and Clara
Renaldo and Clara is a surrealist movie, directed by and starring Bob Dylan. Filmed in 1975, during Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour, it was released in 1978...
. The following year he was a featured performer at the Band's Thanksgiving Day farewell concert, which was document
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
ed in the 1978 film The Last Waltz
The Last Waltz
The Last Waltz was a concert by the rock group The Band, held on American Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco...
. His 1984 LP, Making It Again, garnered him a Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
as Canada's best Country Male Vocalist. In addition to his music, he has also become an accomplished actor, hosting his own television show Honky Tonk in the early 1980s and appearing in such films as Heaven's Gate with his friend Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson
Kristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
and Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II.
On January 8, 1995, Hawkins celebrated his 60th birthday by throwing a concert at Massey Hall
Massey Hall
Massey Hall is a venerable performing arts theatre in the Garden District of downtown Toronto. The theatre originally was designed to seat 3,500 patrons but, after extensive renovations in the 1940s, now seats up to 2,765....
in Toronto which was documented on the album Let It Rock
Let It Rock (Ronnie Hawkins album)
Let It Rock is a Juno Award-nominated album that documents American-Canadian singer Ronnie Hawkins' 60th birthday celebration and concert at Massey Hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The concert took place on January 8, 1995 and featured performances by Hawkins, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, The...
. The concert featured performances by Hawkins, Carl Perkins
Carl Perkins
Carl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...
, Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
, The Band
The Band
The Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
and Larry Gowan
Lawrence Gowan
Lawrence Gowan is a Scottish-born Canadian musician. Gowan has been both a solo artist and the current keyboardist and vocalist of the band Styx. His musical style is usually classified in the category of progressive rock.-Career:...
. Jeff Healy sat in on guitar for most, if not all, of the performances. Hawkins' band, The Hawks, or permutations of it, backed most, if not all, of the acts. All of the musicians performing that night were collectively dubbed "The Rock ‘N’ Roll Orchestra".
In 2002, October 4 was declared "Ronnie Hawkins Day" by the city of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
as he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame , located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful Canadians...
, in recognition of his lifetime contribution to music and his generous support of the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario
Schizophrenia Society of Ontario
The Schizophrenia Society of Ontario is a charitable organization located in Ontario, Canada that exists to help those affected by schizophrenia....
and other charitable organizations. Hawkins was inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame at the Canadian Music Industry Awards on 4 March 2004. His pioneering contribution to the genre has also been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
Rockabilly Hall of Fame
The Rockabilly Hall of Fame was established on the internet on March 21, 1997, to present early rock and roll history and information relative to the artists and personalities involved in this pioneering American music genre....
.
In recent years, Hawkins battled pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
. His recovery, attributed to everything from psychic healers to native herbal medicine, is featured in the film, Ronnie Hawkins: Still Alive and Kicking. In 2005, he was awarded an honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
from Laurentian University
Laurentian University
Laurentian University , was incorporated on March 28, 1960, is a mid-sized bilingual university in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada....
. Also Hawkins recently has reissued most of his albums on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
through Unidisc Music Inc.
Unidisc Music Inc.
Unidisc Music Inc, is one of Canada’s largest independent record labels. The company has been expanding in growth and productivity since the late 1970s...
Albums
| Year | Album | CAN | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Ronnie Hawkins | — | Roulette |
| 1960 | Mr. Dynamo | — | |
| Folk Ballads of Ronnie Hawkins | — | ||
| 1961 | Sings the Songs of Hank Williams | — | |
| 1963 | The Best | — | |
| 1964 | Mojo Man | — | |
| 1970 | The Best | — | |
| Ronnie Hawkins | 12 | Cotillion | |
| 1971 | The Hawk | 91 | |
| 1972 | Rock and Roll Resurrection | — | Monument |
| 1974 | Giant of Rock'n Roll | — | |
| 1977 | Rockin | — | Pye |
| 1979 | The Hawk | — | United Artists |
| 1981 | A Legend in His Spare Time | — | Quality |
| 1982 | The Hawk and Rock | — | Trilogy |
| 1984 | Making It Again | — | Epic |
| 1987 | Hello Again ... Mary Lou | — | |
| 1995 | Let It Rock Let It Rock (Ronnie Hawkins album) Let It Rock is a Juno Award-nominated album that documents American-Canadian singer Ronnie Hawkins' 60th birthday celebration and concert at Massey Hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The concert took place on January 8, 1995 and featured performances by Hawkins, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, The... |
— | Quality |
| 2002 | Still Cruisin | — | Hawk |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN | CAN AC | CAN Country | US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
|||
| 1959 | "Forty Days" | — | — | — | 45 | Ronnie Hawkins |
| "Mary Lou" | — | — | — | 26 | ||
| 1965 | "Bluebirds Over the Mountain" | 8 | — | — | — | singles only |
| "Goin' to the River" | 34 | — | — | — | ||
| 1970 | "Home from the Forest" | — | — | 29 | — | Ronnie Hawkins |
| "Down in the Alley" | 20 | — | — | 75 | ||
| "Bittergreen" | 36 | — | — | — | ||
| 1971 | "Patricia" | 84 | 2 | 38 | — | The Hawk |
| 1972 | "Cora Mae" | 71 | — | — | — | Rock and Roll Resurrection |
| 1973 | "Lonesome Town" | — | 8 | 39 | — | Giant of Rock'n Roll |
| 1981 | "(Stuck In) Lodi" | — | 7 | 8 | — | A Legend in His Spare Time |
| 1983 | "Wild Little Willie" | — | — | 45 | — | The Hawk and Rock |
| 1985 | "Making It Again" | — | — | 44 | — | Making It Again |
| 1987 | "Hello Again Mary Lou" | — | 17 | 39 | — | Hello Again ... Mary Lou |
| 1995 | "Days Gone By" | — | — | 51 | — | Let It Rock |
Awards
- Juno AwardJuno AwardThe Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
for Making it Again, 1984 - Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award, Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, presented at the Juno Awards of 1996Juno Awards of 1996The Juno Awards of 1996, representing Canadian music industry achievements of the previous year, were awarded on 10 March 1996 in Hamilton, Ontario at a ceremony in the Copps Coliseum...
- Special Achievement Award, Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers (SOCAN), 2007
External links
- Official Home Page
- (Video) 2005.12.17 Ronnie Hawkins Playing Bo Diddley on Canada Jams at Massey Hall (Toronto, Ontario)
- Ronnie Hawkins Interview on The Hour with George StroumboulopoulosGeorge StroumboulopoulosGeorge Mark Paul Stroumboulopoulos is a Canadian television and radio personality, best known as the host of CBC Television's George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight and being a VJ for Canadian music television channel MuchMusic...
- The Hawks at peterboroughpromotions.com - Contains a list of former members of Ronnie's band.