Hawkshaw Hawkins

Hawkshaw Hawkins is a country singer, guitarist, songwriter, and entertainer. A large man (6'6") with a deep singing voice, Hawkins was an immensely popular performer in country music for many years without the benefit of big record success. He started on radio, becoming a regular on WWVA's Wheeling Jamboree by 1946 and making his first records for the King label around that time. By 1953 he signed with RCA Victor and became a regular member of the Grand Ole Opry by 1955. Described as "the man with 11-and-a-half yards of personality," Hawkins was a warm and engaging performer both on stage and on records, able to pull off a wide variety of material from maudlin weepers to up-tempo novelties. His label-jumping from Columbia by the late '50s and back to King by the early '60s moved his material closer to commercial mainstream country, but his time in the spotlight ran out when he perished in the same plane crash as Cowboy Copas and Patsy Cline. Hawkins (born Harold Franklin Hawkins, December 22, 1921; died March 5, 1963) was born and raised in Huntington, WV. His first foray into performing came at the age of 15, when he won a talent contest at a local radio station, WSAZ. Following his win, he began working at the station, eventually moving to WCHS in Charleston by the end of the '30s; at WCHS, he frequently sang with Clarence "Sherlock" Jack. During 1941, he traveled the United States with a revue. The following year, he joined the military, where he was stationed in the Phillippines; in Manila, he sang on the local army radio. Following his discharge from the Army, Hawkins signed with King Records, releasing the minor hit -- and the song that would eventually become his signature tune -- "The Sunny Side of the Mountain." In addition to recording for King, he was a...