Ronnie Hawkins was a legendary rockabilly singer and songwriter who helped launch the careers of the musicians who would form the Band.
- Died: May 29, 2022 (Who else died on May 29?)
- Details of death: Died at a hospital in Peterborough, Ontario at the age of 87.
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Musical career
Born in Arkansas, Hawkins made his way to Canada early in his career, after serving in the U.S. Army, and made his home there. He had formed the band the Hawks in high school, and one of its early members was drummer Levon Helm (1940–2012). When Hawkins moved the Hawks to Canada. Helm was the only member who came with him, and they picked up new members when they went north: Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko (1943–1999), Richard Manuel (1943–1986), and Garth Hudson. Those five musicians later broke off from the Hawks and formed a group that would come to be known as the Band. Later, Hawkins would appear with the Band in their iconic concert film, “The Last Waltz.”
Hawkins continued recording and performing for decades, finding his greatest success in Canada with singles including an early cover of “Thirty Days” by Chuck Berry (1926–2017), renamed “Forty Days.” He hosted John Lennon (1940–1980) and Yoko Ono at his Ontario farm, and he mentored and encouraged many Canadian musicians. Hawkins won a Juno Award in 1982 and was honored with the Order of Canada in 2014.
Notable quote
“I’ve been the luckiest bugger in the world. Music’s all I ever wanted to do and Canada has been the Promised Land.” —from a 2013 interview for HuffPost Canada Music
Tributes to Ronnie Hawkins
Full obituary: The Star
