Erskine Ramsay Hawkins (July 26, 1914 – November 11, 1993) was an American trumpeter and

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

leader from

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County. The population was 200,733 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List ...

, dubbed "The 20th Century Gabriel". He is best remembered for composing the

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

standard " Tuxedo Junction" (1939) with saxophonist and arranger Bill Johnson. The song became a hit during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, rising to No. 7 nationally (version by the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra) and to No. 1 nationally (version by the Glenn Miller Orchestra). Vocalists who were featured with Erskine's orchestra include Ida James, Delores Brown, and

Della Reese Della Reese (born Delloreese Patricia Early; July 6, 1931 – November 19, 2017) was an American singer, actress, television personality, author and ordained minister. As a singer, she recorded blues, gospel, jazz and pop. Several of her singl ...

. Hawkins was named after Alabama industrialist Erskine Ramsay.

Early years

Erskine Hawkins was named by his parents after Alabama industrialist Erskine Ramsay who was rewarding parents with savings accounts for them for doing so. Hawkins attended Councill Elementary School and Industrial High School (now known as Parker High School) in

. At Industrial High School, he played in the band directed by Fess Whatley, a teacher who taught many African-American musicians, many of whom worked with such musicians as

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

Lucky Millinder Lucius Venable "Lucky" Millinder (August 8, 1910 – September 28, 1966) was an American swing music, swing and rhythm and blues, rhythm-and-blues bandleader. Although he could not read or write music, did not play an instrument and rarely sang ...

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

and Skitch Henderson (of the NBC Orchestra).

Headliner years

During 1936 through 1938, Hawkins recorded for Vocalion Records as "Erskine Hawkins and his 'Bama State Collegians". In 1938, he signed with RCA Victor and began recording on their Bluebird label as, simply, "Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra". In the late 1930s, Hawkins and his Orchestra were one of the house bands at the Savoy Ballroom. They alternated with the Chick Webb band, and often used " Tuxedo Junction" as their sign-off song before the next band would take the stage, so that the dancing would continue uninterrupted. Hawkins also engaged in "battles of the bands" with such bandleaders as Glenn Miller,

, and

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, percussionist, and bandleader. He worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, an ...

. In 1943, a Hawkins concert caused trouble in Little Rock, Arkansas: "3,000 Negroes jammed into the Exhibition Hall to dance to the music of Hawkins and his crew became unruly and began to push white police all over the floor. Police brandished their guns and blackjacks and attempted to quiet the crowd--but only after Hawkins and his boys broke into the national anthem did the dancers settle down." A city "ban on dances for Negroes" followed the event, meaning that "bookers of Negro orchestras for dances here may just as well take up another profession." In the mid 1940s, he was transferred to the main RCA Victor label, recording many of his greatest hits for both labels during this decade. He remained with them until 1950 when he switched over to Coral Records. He continued to record for many years.

Later years

Hawkins was trumpeter and band leader in the lobby bar and show nightclub at The Concord Resort Hotel in Kiamesha Lake, New York from 1967 to 1993 with his last performing group Joe Vitale (piano), Dudly Watson (bass), Sonny Rossi (vocals and clarinet), and George Leary (drums). Hawkins died at his home in Willingboro Township, New Jersey, in November 1993, at the age of 79. He is buried at Elmwood Cemetery and Mausoleum, alongside his sister, in Birmingham, Alabama.

Personal life

Flo Hawkins, who appeared in the 1946 film '' That Man of Mine'', was his wife. They eventually became estranged and she worked in The Catskills.

Induction into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame

In 1978, Erskine Hawkins became one of the first five artists inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. In 1989, he was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Hawkins was a contemporary of another Birmingham jazz musician, Sun Ra.

Chart singles

References

External links

Erskine Hawkins biography
at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame website * Erskine Hawkins biographyat Allmusic.com
Interview with Brownie McGhee [Tapes #010 & 011
- Discovers Erskine Hawkins with TB in sanatorium, forms band at 27:00 minutes {{DEFAULTSORT:Hawkins, Erskine 1914 births 1993 deaths American big band bandleaders Swing bandleaders Swing trumpeters Alabama State University alumni American jazz bandleaders Songwriters from Alabama American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters African-American jazz composers RCA Victor artists Musicians from Birmingham, Alabama People from Willingboro Township, New Jersey 20th-century American jazz composers 20th-century American trumpeters Songwriters from New Jersey Jazz musicians from Alabama American male jazz composers 20th-century American male musicians Burials at Elmwood Cemetery (Birmingham, Alabama) African-American songwriters 20th-century African-American musicians American male songwriters 20th-century American songwriters Bama State Collegians members Musicians from Burlington County, New Jersey