Rock 'n roll pioneer Ronnie Hawkins passed away yesterday following a lengthy illness. He was 87.
A native of Arkansas, Hawkins would move to Canada in the late 1950's on the advice of Conway Twitty where he would introduce rockabilly to Canadian audiences. Some consider Hawkins the father of Canadian rock 'n roll.
While Hawkins did not have huge chart success, he made his reputation through his live act (which included the camel walk - a precursor of Michael Jackson's moonwalk) and his penchant for developing talent with his band Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks. Some alum include guitarist Roy Buchanan and the five men who would achieve worldwide success as The Band - Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson.
My first memory of Hawkins was his TV show Honky Tonk which aired on CTV in the early 1980's. For his contributions to music and his philanthropic endeavors, Hawkins was bestowed with the Order of Canada in 2014.
I leave you with Hawkins reunion with The Band in November 1976 performing Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love" in The Last Waltz. R.I.P.
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