Rockabilly legend and The Band member Ronnie Hawkins dies aged 87

Ronnie Hawkins, who was known as being a huge influence on Canada’s rock scene, has died at the age of 87

Ronnie Hawkins, the Rockabilly star known as The Hawk, has died at the age of 87.

The Arkansas musician who lived in Canada died on Sunday following an unspecified illness, his wife Wanda confirmed to Canadian Press.

“He went peacefully and he looked as handsome as ever,” she told the publication.

Hawkins was considered a formative influence on the evolution of Canada’s rock scene due to his keen passion for Southern blues music.

His top US entry in the charts reached number 26 and while he wasn’t best known as a natural songwriter, his fame came from his stage shows which were characterised by his booming voice and funny stage presence in which he showcased moved such as his “camel walk”.

In his early days he played alongside a band called The Hawks before they split and became the backing band for Bob Dylan.

Eventually, they changed their name to simply The Band.

Hawkins earned Juno Awards – which are the Canadian version of the Grammys – in his career before later being honoured in 2002 with a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame in October 2002.

Fans of the star mourned his death on social media following the news breaking.

Among those paying their respects were SiriusXM host Eric Alper who shared a black and white image of the star on Twitter alongside the caption: “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.”

The Official Twitter account for The Band also shared a quote by Levon Helm alongside a clip of them performing.

It read: “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.”

They followed it up by concluding: ” Rest in peace, Ronnie Hawkins.”

CBC Radio host Lucky Budd also penned: “Rest In Peace to The Hawk – Ronnie Hawkins who passed at age 87. He is the man responsible for pulling together and mentoring the guys who eventually became The Band. Who do you love, Ronnie?!”

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