Hawkshaw Hawkins facts for kids

Harold Franklin "Hawkshaw" Hawkins (born December 22, 1921 – died March 5, 1963) was a famous American country music singer. He was very popular in the 1950s and early 1960s. People loved his smooth voice and music. His songs often mixed sounds from blues, boogie, and honky-tonk styles.

Hawkshaw was very tall, standing at 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 meters). This made him stand out on stage. He also dressed more formally than some other country singers. Sadly, Hawkins died in a plane crash in 1963. This accident also took the lives of fellow country stars Patsy Cline and Cowboy Copas. Hawkshaw Hawkins was a member of the famous Grand Ole Opry and was married to country singer Jean Shepard.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Harold Hawkins was born on December 22, 1921, in Huntington, West Virginia, United States. He got his unique nickname, "Hawkshaw," when he was a boy. A neighbor called him that after he helped find two missing fishing rods. The name came from a detective in a comic strip called Hawkshaw the Detective.

Hawkshaw loved music from a young age. He traded five trapped rabbits to get his very first guitar! He started performing on a radio station called WCMI-AM in Ashland, Kentucky. When he was 16, he won a talent show. This led to a job at WSAZ-AM in Huntington. There, he formed a music group called Hawkshaw and Sherlock with his friend Clarence Jack. Later, in the late 1930s, they moved to WCHS-AM in Charleston, West Virginia. In 1940, at 19, he married Reva Mason Barbour.

Serving His Country

In 1941, Hawkins traveled around the United States with a musical show. He joined the U.S. Army in 1943 during World War II. He worked as an engineer and was stationed near Paris, Texas. While there, he and his friends often performed at local clubs.

As a staff sergeant, he was sent to France. He bravely fought in the Battle of the Bulge, which was a very important battle. He earned four battle stars for his service during 15 months of fighting. He was also stationed in Manila and performed on the radio there.

Music Career and Big Hits

After leaving the army, Hawkins became a regular performer on WWVA Jamboree. This popular show was in Wheeling, West Virginia, from 1945 to 1954. In 1946, he signed a record deal with King Records in Cincinnati. The owner, Syd Nathan, almost didn't listen to Hawkshaw's first demo record because it wasn't very good quality. But when he finally listened, he decided to record four of Hawkins' songs.

His first two songs with King Records, "Pan American" and "Dog House Boogie," became top ten country hits. Another song, "The Sunny Side of the Mountain," became his signature tune. In 1951, he recorded "Slow Poke," which was another big hit for King Records. He stayed with the label until 1953. Because of his height and friendly personality, people nicknamed him "Eleven Yards of Personality."

In 1951, Hawkins and his wife adopted a four-year-old girl named Susan Marlene. They later divorced in 1958. Susan would spend summers and holidays with each parent.

Starting in 1954, Hawkins was a regular on Ozark Jubilee. This show was on ABC Radio and TV in Springfield, Missouri. It was there that he met his second wife, Jean Shepard. After recording with Columbia and RCA Records, he joined the famous Grand Ole Opry. He also returned to King Records. In 1962, he recorded his biggest hit, "Lonesome 7-7203."

This song first appeared on the Billboard country chart on March 2, 1963. This was just three days before Hawkshaw Hawkins passed away. The song wasn't on the charts for two weeks after his death. But it reappeared on March 23 and stayed on the chart for 25 weeks. It even reached No. 1 for four weeks, which was an amazing achievement he didn't get to see.

Tragic Plane Accident

On March 3, 1963, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Patsy Cline, and Cowboy Copas performed at a special concert. It was held in Kansas City, Kansas, to help the family of a disc jockey named "Cactus" Jack Call, who had recently died. Another performer, Billy Walker, had to return to Nashville quickly. Hawkshaw gave Walker his airline ticket and decided to fly back in a private plane instead.

On March 5, Hawkins, Cline, and Copas left for Nashville. They were in a Piper Comanche plane flown by Randy Hughes, who was Cline's manager and Copas's son-in-law. After stopping to refuel in Dyersburg, Tennessee, the plane took off at 6:07 p.m. CT. The plane flew into very bad weather and crashed at 6:29 p.m. in a forest near Camden, Tennessee. This was about 90 miles from Nashville. Sadly, no one on board survived the crash.

Fans all over the world were very sad about this loss. Hawkshaw was survived by his daughter Susan Marlene, his young son Donnie, and his wife Jean Shepard. Jean was pregnant at the time with their second son, Harold Franklin Hawkins I. Hawk Jr., who was born one month after his father's death.

Legacy and Remembrance

Hawkshaw Hawkins was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. This area is known as Music Row, where many country music stars are laid to rest.

The exact spot where the plane crashed in the forest outside Camden is marked by a stone memorial. It was dedicated on July 6, 1996. Hawkshaw is also remembered in a song called "Love Never Dies." This song is on Martin Simpson's 2003 album, Righteousness and Humidity. In the song, Simpson meets an old truck driver who talks about giving Hawkshaw a special guitar.

Music Albums

• 1958: Hawkshaw Hawkins Sings Grand Ole Opry Favorites, Vol. 1 (King)
• 1958: Hawkshaw Hawkins Sings Grand Ole Opry Favorites, Vol. 2 (King)
• 1959: Hawkshaw Hawkins (La Brea)
• 1959: Hawkshaw Hawkins Sings Grand Ole Opry Favorites, Vol. 3 (King)
• 1959: Country Western Cavalcade (Gladwynne)
• 1963: Taken from Our Vaults, Vol. 1 (King)
• 1963: Taken from Our Vaults, Vol. 2 (King)
• 1963: The All New Hawkshaw Hawkins (King)
• 1963: The Great Hawkshaw Hawkins (Harmony)
• 1964: Hawkshaw Hawkins Sings Hawkshaw Hawkins (RCA Camden)
• 1964: Taken from Our Vaults, Vol. 3 (King)
• 1965: Gone, but Not Forgotten (Starday)
• 1966: The Country Gentlemen (RCA Camden)

Hit Songs (Singles)

Images for kids

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  Gravestone of Hawkshaw Hawkins