ByBob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Ronnie Hawkins dies: Ronnie Hawkins is credited with influencing many musicians during his career. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP, file)
ByBob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Ronnie Hawkins, a rockabilly star from Arkansas who became a patron of Canadian music and was backed by musicians who later morphed into The Band, died Sunday, his wife said. He was 87.
The singer’s wife, Wanda Hawkins, confirmed to The Canadian Press that Hawkins died at a hospital in Peterborough, Ontario.
“He went peacefully and he looked as handsome as ever,” she said in a telephone interview from their home.
Hawkins was noted for songs such as “Ruby Baby,” “Mary Lou” and the Bo Diddley cover “Who Do You Love.” He earned several nicknames through the years, including Mr. Dynamo, Sir Ronnie, Rompin’ Ronnie and the Hawk.
Ronnie Hawkins, the single most important rock and roller in the history of Canada, has passed away at age 87. The Band, Dale Hawkins, Bob Dylan and thousands of others wouldn't be the same without him. Music wouldn't be the same. He will be deeply missed, and thank you, Hawk. pic.twitter.com/R2E28p5bUj
Hawkins formed the Hawks, and five members of the group -- Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, and Richard Manuel -- played with the singer during the 1950s and early 1960s, Rolling Stone reported. After the quintet left the group in 1963, they formed The Band four years later.
“We should thank Ronnie Hawkins in being so instrumental in us coming together and for teaching us the ‘code of the road,’ so to speak,” Robertson said during The Band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
Although Hawkins had a testy relationship with The Band after their departure, he joined them onstage in 1976 for a concert that was memorialized two years later in the film “The Last Waltz,” according to The Canadian Press.
“He was really good at gathering musicians that he thought were the best around,” Robertson said in a 2016 interview with the newspaper. “It was like a boot camp for musicians to go through, learn the music and when to do certain things and not do certain things. He just played a real pivotal part in all of it.”
Hawkins also played for Bob Dylan when the folk singer embraced the electric guitar during his 1966 concert tour, according to The Canadian Press.
Ronald Cornett Hawkins was born on Jan. 10, 1935, two days after Elvis Presley, in Huntsville, Arkansas, according to The New York Times. When he was 9, his family moved to nearby Fayetteville, where his father, Jasper Hawkins, opened a barbershop and his mother, Flora Hawkins, taught school.
Ronnie Hawkins began playing music at the barbershop, where a shoeshine boy named Buddy Hayes had a blues band that rehearsed with a piano player named Little Joe, the newspaper reported.
"Ronnie could really work a crowd on a Friday night. He was an entertainer rather than a musician. He had an instinct for crowd psychology and could start a rumble across the room if he wanted to just by flicking his wrist." - Levon Helm
After dropping out of the University of Arkansas, Hawkins joined the Army in 1957 and quit later that year to pursue music.
He started a band backed by Black musicians called the Black Hawks and played rock ‘n’ roll music, The Canadian Press reported. He eventually gave himself top billing and began playing as Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks, creating a bad-boy look with his slicked-back black hair and sideburns.
Very sad to hear that Ronnie Hawkins has passed away...it was virtually impossible ever to find anyone who didn't like Ronnie...I spent some great times with him, listening to his stories and experiences...he could always make you howl with laughter. pic.twitter.com/QEfGSULmVw
“Hawkins is the only man I ever heard who can make a nice sexy song like ‘My Gal is Red Hot’ sound sordid,” Greil Marcus wrote in his book about music and American culture, “Mystery Train,” The Associated Press reported.
In 1958, Hawkins followed the advice of country singer Conway Twitty, who said that American rock ‘n’ roll bands could make a killing in Canada, the Times reported. He moved to a place he once said was “cold as an accountant’s heart” and became a success, according to the newspaper.
By the end of the decade, Hawkins had two singles on the Billboard Top 100 and appeared on “Dick Clark’s American Bandstand,” according to The Canadian Press.
Musician Gary Lucas, who met Hawkins when he was 16, said that Hawkins left an impression when he performed.
“He was doing double backflips on a stage in the middle of a song,” Lucas told the newspaper. “I’ve never seen that before or since.”
Hawkins wrote roughly 500 songs and received numerous awards.
He won a Juno in 1982 for best country male vocalist for the album “Legend In His Spare Time.” He was honored with a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame in October 2002,
While Hawkins went back to Arkansas for many winters and was a friend of Bill Clinton, he said he considered Canada his home, according to The Canadian Press.
“There’s no place in the world more beautiful than Canada. I’ve made a lot of good friends here. A lot of outlaws,” he said in 2000.
Hawkins said he loved touring, but playing in bars and roadhouses was not a glamorous occupation, the Times reported.
“When I started playing rock ‘n’ roll,” Hawkins once said, “you were two pay grades below a prisoner of war.”
We send our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and fans of rockabilly legend Ronnie Hawkins, who passed away today. He was inducted into @CWOFame by Kris Kristofferson on October 4, 2002, which was declared “Ronnie Hawkins Day” by the City of Toronto. pic.twitter.com/X9HI0JIJdO
Ronnie Hawkins through the years CANADA - FEBRUARY 01: Romping Ronnie Hawkins is back at Oshawa's Armstrong Auditorium for a show on Saturday (Photo by Boris Spremo/Toronto Star via Getty Images) (Boris Spremo/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years CANADA - APRIL 11: Ronnie Hawkins wife Wanda (Photo by John Mahler/Toronto Star via Getty Images) (John Mahler/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years TORONTO, ON: Ronnie Hawkins. Photo taken by Frank Lennon/Toronto Star April 20, 1987. (Frank Lennon/Toronto Star via Getty Images) (Frank Lennon/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years SAN FRANCISCO - NOVEMBER 25: Musicians Ronnie Hawkins and Robbie Robertson (playing a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar) perform on stage at The Band's 'The Last Waltz' concert at Winterland Ballroom on November 25, 1976 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years UNSPECIFIED - JANUARY 01: Photo of Ronnie Hawkins (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years UNSPECIFIED - SEPTEMBER 23: Duane Allman, 025 c MOA (9-23-69 w. Ronnie Hawkins).tif (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years SAN FRANCISCO - NOVEMBER 1976: Bob Dylan joins The Band (L to R: Dr. John, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Ringo Starr, Rick Danko, Van Morrison, Ronnie Hawkins, Bob Dylan, Robbie Robertson) to play their Last Waltz at Winterland on November 25, 1976 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ed Perlstein/Redferns/Getty Images) (Ed Perlstein/Redferns via Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years RONNIE HAWKINS03.RPJ.Rock and Roll Great Ronnie Hawkins laughs as he holds a tearful Kris Kristopherson on King Street at the unveiling of his star on the Canadian Walk of Fame on Friday .Kristopherson got emotional speaking of his friend Hawkins (Photo by Rene Johnston/Toronto Star via Getty Images) (Rene Johnston/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years SAN FRANCISCO - NOVEMBER 25: (L-R) Richard Manuel, Neil Diamond, Dr. John, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Rick Danko, Van Morrison, Ronnie Hawkins, Bob Dylan, Robbie Robertson and Eric Clapton perform onstage for the rock and roll group 'The Band's' 'The Last Waltz' concert at Winterland Ballroom which was later turned into a film by Martin Scorsese on November 25, 1976 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Michael Montfort/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years CANADA - DECEMBER 15: Taste testing: Entertainer Rompin' Ronnie Hawkins takes a break between performances at the Royal York Hotel to accept a Christmas present of mandarin oranges from Stetson-wearing Sunoko Sugiyama. (Photo by Colin McConnell/Toronto Star via Getty Images) (Colin McConnell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years CANADA - JUNE 23: Ronnie Hawkins (Photo by Patti Gower/Toronto Star via Getty Images) (Patti Gower/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years CANADA - APRIL 14: Romin' Ronnie Hawkins' first gig was well-received but; as he tells us; not so well-paying. (Photo by Frank Lennon/Toronto Star via Getty Images) (Frank Lennon/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years CANADA - DECEMBER 08: Canada's king of rockabilly music; Rompin' Ronnie Hawkins has deserted the Yonge St. Strip. He's enlivened for so long. [Incomplete] (Photo by Harold Barkley/Toronto Star via Getty Images) (Harold Barkley/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years CANADA - APRIL 06: Ronnie Hawkins: Leads free outdoor party at Nathan Phillips Square. (Photo by John Mahler/Toronto Star via Getty Images) (John Mahler/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years TORONTO, ON - DECEMBER 10 - Legendary Canadian musicians Gordon Lightfoot, left, and Ronnie Hawkins, react to the playing of their new collaboration on an old 'The Band' song, 'Christmas must be tonight' at the Cambria Gallery in Toronto on December 10, 2015 (Cole Burston/Toronto Star via Getty Images) (Cole Burston/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years CANADA - JULY 06: Singer Rompin' Ronnie Hawkins sits at the wheel of his 1926 Ford convertible; which is currently out of service waiting for repairs. Hawkins; 38; is saddened by the fact that the Ford Motor Co. has joined Chrysler and American Motors in ending production (Photo by Ron Bull/Toronto Star via Getty Images) (Ron Bull/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years CANADA - APRIL 16: Shakedown: Former Maple Leaf Eddie Shack; left; and country music star Ronnie Hawkins shake the change from the pockets of Kinsman Ernie British. Money will go in fund for Uxbridge Cottage Hospital. The two will appear at benefit May 22. (Photo by Al Dunlop/Toronto Star via Getty Images) (Al Dunlop/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 26: Musician Ronnie Hawkins and his wife Wanda arrive at the David Foster Foundation Miracle Gala And Concert at Mattamy Athletic Centre on September 26, 2015 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Isaiah Trickey/FilmMagic) (Isaiah Trickey/FilmMagic via Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years STONEY LAKE, ON - JULY 8: Rockabilly legend Ronnie Hawkins at his estate on Stoney Lake. Hawkins looks to downsize by selling his recently listed 165 acre estate that has over 1100m of water frontage. (Randy Risling/Toronto Star via Getty Images) (Randy Risling/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years American singer-songwriter John Prine (1946-2020), American-Canadian singer-songwriter Ronnie Hawkins, American singer-songwriter and actor Kris Kristofferson, and American singer-songwriter Ramblin' Jack Elliott, each holding a glass, with Kristofferson also holding a cigarette, location unspecified, February 1972. (Photo by Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years CANADA - SEPTEMBER 06: Ronnie Hawkins and Carroll Baker (Photo by Tony Bock/Toronto Star via Getty Images) (Tony Bock/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years CANADA - JULY 04: Rompin' Ronnie Hawkins; A brand-new- two-year recording contract (Photo by Doug Griffin/Toronto Star via Getty Images) (Doug Griffin/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years CANADA - JANUARY 12: Ronnie Hawkins (Photo by Ken Faught/Toronto Star via Getty Images) (Faught; Ken/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years CANADA - APRIL 30: 'Asian cowboy' Bill Wen; part-owner of Sai Woo restaurant; performs on the harmonica for his old friend; Rompin' Ronnie Hawkins. The Hawk spends a lot of time there eating octopus soup. (Photo by Frank Lennon/Toronto Star via Getty Images) (Frank Lennon/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years John Lennon, right, and his wife, Yoko Ono, take their first ride on a snowmobile on a farm owned by rock singer Ronnie Hawkins at Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Dec. 18, 1969. Lennon and Ono are staying on the farm during their peace crusade in Canada. (AP Photo) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Ronnie Hawkins through the years Director Daniel Roher, from left, Ronnie Hawkins and Wanda Hawkins attend the premiere for "Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band" on day one of the Toronto International Film Festival at the Roy Thomson Hall on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019, in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) (Evan Agostini/Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)