Black Biography:
Screamin' Jay Hawkins
singer; actor
Personal Information
Born Jalacy J. Hawkins on July 18, 1929, in Cleveland, OH; died on February 12, 2000, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France; married six times; fathered (approximately) 57 children.
Education: Ohio Conservatory of Music.
Career
Singer. Performed with Tiny Grimes, 1952-54; performed with Fats Domino, 1954-55; signed with Okeh Records and released "I Put A Spell On You," 1955; signed with Columbia Records, 1956; Philips Records, 1960s; RCA Records, 1970s; Rhino Records, 1980s; Demon Records, 1990s; performed as a solo act, 1956-90; bandleader, Fuzztones, 1990s; toured United States, Europe, Asia; film appearances: American Hot Wax, 1978; Mystery Train, 1990; and A Rage in Harlem, 1991.
Life's Work
Screamin' Jay Hawkins, who learned to play piano and read music as a toddler and later studied opera, ultimately found his career niche in 1950s rock and roll. With his classically-trained bass-baritone singing voice, Hawkins conjured up ghoulish images on stage and on his records. Hawkins, evoking voodoo images and using bone-rattling sound effects, simultaneously entertained and bewildered rock 'n roll fans.
Born Jalacy J. Hawkins on July 18, 1929, in Cleveland, Ohio, Hawkins was adopted from an orphanage when he was 18 months old and raised by a Native American family of the Blackfoot Tribe. Hawkins was a musical prodigy and developed his talent at an early age. As a toddler, he taught himself to play the piano, and he could read music adeptly by the time he was six years old. Then at age 14 he learned to play the saxophone. As a teenager he began boxing professionally, winning a Golden Gloves championship in 1943. He also attended the Ohio Conservatory of Music, where he studied opera.
In 1944, when World War II raged across Europe, Hawkins dropped out of high school and enlisted in the U.S. Army. A member of the special services, he was assigned to entertain the troops. He was reportedly taken prisoner following a paratroop landing off the island of Saipan.
Recorded First Original Track
Hawkins continued to box, winning a middleweight championship in Alaska in 1949. But by 1950 he had lost interest in the sport, electing to pursue a musical career as a rhythm and blues pianist. It was around this time Hawkins, inspired by an enthusiastic fan in West Virginia who had cried out, "Scream, baby, scream!" during a performance, changed his name to Screamin' Jay. Discharged from the military, Hawkins found employment as a chauffeur for jazzman Tiny Grimes in 1952. He eventually joined Grimes's band, the Rockin' Highlanders, as a vocalist and piano player. Grimes gave Hawkins the opportunity to record an original composition, "Why Did You Waste My Time."
Hawkins was constantly at odds with recording executives. His rowdy compositions, such as "Screamin' Blues," conflicted with the producer's belief that audiences preferred soothing, mellow sounds. In 1954 Hawkins joined Fats Domino's band as a pianist, but left the band after problems arose between the two musicians. The combination of Hawkins's uninhibited style and Domino's easy beat simply did not work. Finally, Domino fired Hawkins when he showed up for a performance wearing a leopard skin suit.
Hawkins debuted as a solo performer at Small's Paradise in Harlem. He eventually moved on to play clubs along Atlantic City's boardwalk. In 1955 he signed with Okeh Records, where he recorded his first hit, "I Put A Spell On You." This song about unrequited love was originally written as a ballad. Hawkins, however, in the midst of a drunken binge when he recorded the composition, added hollering, bellowing, and other bizarre sound effects. Upon hearing the taped version of the record, Hawkins even claimed that he had no memory of the recording session.
Amazingly, in comparison with a subsequent version recorded by Columbia Records the following year, the original recording actually seemed inhibited. Although the Okeh recording failed to sell, Columbia's rowdier version became a hit in 1956. Since many people found the noises offensively reminiscent of cannibalistic culture, both versions were edited for radio play, stripping out the bone-rattling sound effects.
Elaborate Gimmicks Became a Trademark
It was popular New York City disc jockey Alan Freed who, inspired by the audio antics of "I Put A Spell On You," developed the elaborate gimmicks that became Hawkins's trademark. Freed paid Hawkins to escalate the horror images throughout the performance, including making his stage entrance in a coffin. Hawkins's act evolved into a zany freak show. Often dressed as a vampire, he was carried on stage in a blazing coffin decorated with zebra skin. One popular prop was a cigarette-smoking skull-on-a-stick, affectionately dubbed Henry. Explosions punctuated the act, and Hawkins suffered severe burns on more than one occasion.
Hawkins carried his image to the extreme. At times he appeared wearing a bone through his nose, wearing a turban, or dressed in loincloth and carrying a spear and a shield. Such antics increased his popularity, but also led to criticism. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) voiced concern that Hawkins's cannibalistic illusions might become associated with African Americans in general. On occasion Hawkins's concerts were picketed not only by mothers citing Hawkins for poor taste, but even by the National Coffin Association, which accused Hawkins of poking fun at the dead. Yet concert-goers and record-buyers loved Hawkins's gimmicks and special effects, and, even though his trademark sound effects were stripped entirely from the U.S. release of "I Put A Spell On You," the song sold more than one million copies.
Hawkins admitted that his performances, especially his entrance by coffin, gave him chills. Despite a compensation of $2,000 per performance, he found himself unable to perform without the assistance of alcohol and drugs. As a result, he developed a substance dependency.
The novelty of his voodoo-inspired performances peaked in the 1950s, and by the early 1960s, the popularity of Hawkins's act had decreased. He continued to perform, touring largely in Europe where he maintained a following among avant-garde crowds. He also frequently performed in Asia and Hawaii, as well as touring military bases entertaining U.S. troops. It was around this time that Hawkins moved to Hawaii. Among his hit records during the 1960s were "I Hear Voices" and "Feast of the Mau Mau," released in 1967.
Hawkins continued to tour Europe, Hawaii, and New York City throughout the 1970s. In 1974 he successfully conquered his addiction to alcohol and drugs. Meanwhile, "I Put a Spell on You" experienced a revival, and was recorded by several jazz and rock stars. This provided a substantial royalties income for Hawkins. He collaborated informally with the Rolling Stones and, in 1980, appeared as the opening act for the Rolling Stones' Madison Square Garden concert. Also during the 1980s Hawkins worked at the Palomino Club in the San Fernando Valley. There he earned a ghoulish reputation among his friends because he kept the coffin from his shows in his kitchen, using it as a storage cabinet.
Made Film Debut
In 1978 Hawkins appeared as himself in the film American Hot Wax, a docudrama about Alan Freed. In 1990 Hawkins appeared as an eerie and eccentric hotel manager in Mystery Train. Hawkins next appeared in 1991's Rage in Harlem, singing "I Put a Spell on You." Hawkins also played the character of Reggie in the Andres Vicente Gomez production, Perdita Durango (1997). A Spanish film characterized by tongue-in-cheek humor, horrific brutality, and voodoo overtones, Perdita, was at once bizarre and highly typical of Screamin' Jay Hawkins's persona.
In 1990 Hawkins started a band called the Fuzztones and embarked on a tour of the United States and Europe. He also signed with Demon Records and released several recordings, including "Heart Attack and Vine." He also did commercials in Japan where he was immensely popular. He moved to Paris, France in the late 1990s.
On February 12, 2000, following aneurysm surgery and subsequent massive organ failure, Hawkins died at the Ambroise Pave clinic, located in the Parisian suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine. Hawkins had been married an estimated six times and fathered untold numbers of children--as many as 57 by his own estimation. A search for his children was launched after his death.
Awards
Pioneer Award, Rhythm and Blues Foundation, 1988.
Works
Selected discography
- At Home with Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Epic, 1958.
- Feast of the Mau Mau, 1967.
- Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Philips, 1970.
- Frenzy, Edsel, 1982.
- Real Life, EPM, 1989.
- Voodoo Jive: The Best of Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Rhino, 1990.
- Black Music for White People, Bizarre, 1991.
- Cow Fingers & Mosquito Pie, Epic/Legacy, 1991.
- The Night & Day of Screamin' Jay, 52 Rue Est, 1992.
- Portrait of a Man, Demon, 1995.
- Somethin' Funny Goin' On, Bizarre, 1995.
- At Last, Last Call, 1998.
Further Reading
Books
- Contemporary Musicians, Volume 29, Gale, 2000.
Periodicals- Associated Press, February 12, 2000.
- Billboard, February 26, 2000, p. 8.
- Entertainment Weekly, February 25, 2000, p. 79.
- Jet, April 3, 2000, p. 18.
- New Musical Express, February 26, 2000.
- Reuters, March 3, 2000.
- Rolling Stone, November 27, 1997, p. 30.
- Variety, October 6, 1997; February 21, 2000.
- Washington Post, February 15, 2000.
- Online
- All Music Guide, http://www.allmusic.com http://hallmall.com/cgi-bin/redirect/go2.cgi?search=Screamin';JayHawkins&site=BIOGRAPHY (June 26, 2000).
- Biography Resource Center, Gale, 2001, http://www.galenet.com/servlet/BioRC.
— Gloria Cooksey and Jennifer M. York
