Gregory A. Hawkes (born October 22, 1952) is an American

musician A musician is someone who Composer, composes, Conducting, conducts, or Performing arts#Performers, performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general Terminology, term used to designate a person who fol ...

who is best known as the

keyboardist A keyboardist or keyboard player is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instru ...

and founding member of the American new wave band

the Cars The Cars were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the New wave music, new wave Subculture, scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek (rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr (bass guitar), Elliot Easton (l ...

. Hawkes is credited with helping popularize new wave and

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...

in American

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...

as a member of the Cars. Hawkes, a native of

Fulton, Maryland Fulton is a census-designated place located in southern Howard County, Maryland, Howard County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census it had a population of 2,049. History Indigenous peoples, likely Piscataway, ...

, United States, attended

Atholton High School Atholton High School is a high school in Columbia, Maryland, United States and is a part of the Howard County Public School System. The school hosts an Army JROTC program. The school mascot is the Raider. History Atholton takes its name from a ...

where he played in a band called Teeth. He then attended

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...

for two years, majoring in composition and flute. He left to play in various bands, including Martin Mull and his Fabulous Furniture, in which he played flute, saxophone, and clarinet. He also played in a band called Richard and the Rabbits, which included future Cars bandmates

Ric Ocasek Richard Theodore Otcasek (March 23, 1944 – September 15, 2019), known as Ric Ocasek ( ), was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was the primary vocalist, rhythm guitarist, songwriter, and frontman for the America ...

and

Benjamin Orr Benjamin Orr (, September 8, 1947 – October 3, 2000) was an American musician. He was best known as the bassist, co-lead vocalist, and co-founder of the band the Cars. He sang lead vocals on several of their hits, including "Just What I Nee ...

. He was the last member to join the Cars. Hawkes was also in

the New Cars The New Cars were a band formed in 2005 by two of the original members of the 1970s/1980s new wave band the Cars. The band was composed of original Cars members Elliot Easton and Greg Hawkes, along with vocalist/guitarist Todd Rundgren, bassist ...

with original Cars member

Elliot Easton Elliot Easton (born Steinberg, December 18, 1953) is an American musician who is best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the American new wave band the Cars. His melodic guitar solos are an integral part of the band's music. ...

, along with vocalist/guitarist

Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the bands Nazz and Utopia. He is known for his sophistica ...

, bassist

Kasim Sulton Kasim as a given name, a variant of Qasim. It may refer to: People known only by the given name Kasim *Kasım Pasha, Ottoman general and governor *Kasım of Karaman, the last bey of the Karaman Beylik, a Turkish principality in Anatolia *Şehza ...

, and drummer

Prairie Prince Charles Lempriere "Prairie" Prince (born May 7, 1950) is an American drummer and visual artist. He came to prominence in the 1970s as a member of the San Francisco–based rock group The Tubes, was a member of Jefferson Starship from 1992 to ...

. In 2018, Hawkes was inducted into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

as a member of the Cars.

The Cars

Hawkes's most notable involvement is with

. Hawkes pushed the limits of available technology and sequencing helping to forge the sound of the 1980s. While the Cars were known commercially as a rock and new wave band, he had the biggest impact on the

and new wave sound of the Cars hits such as "

Drive Drive or The Drive may refer to: Motoring * Driving, the act of controlling a vehicle * Road trip, a journey on roads Roadways Roadways called "drives" may include: * Driveway, a private road for local access to structures, abbreviated "drive" * ...

." His signature sounds include the

Prophet-5 The Prophet-5 is an analog synthesizer manufactured by the American company Sequential (company), Sequential. It was designed by Dave Smith (engineer), Dave Smith and John S. Bowen (sound designer), John Bowen in 1977. It was the first Polyphony ...

"sync" sound heard on " Let's Go" and " Hello Again" as well as

arpeggiated An arpeggio () is a type of chord in which the notes that compose a chord are individually sounded in a progressive rising or descending order. Arpeggios on keyboard instruments may be called rolled chords. Arpeggios may include all notes ...

and syncopated synth lines such as on " Shake it Up" and "Heartbeat City." In 2010, Hawkes reunited with the surviving original members of the Cars to record their first album in 24 years, titled ''

Move Like This ''Move Like This'' is the seventh and final studio album by American rock band the Cars, released on May 10, 2011. It was their first since 1987's '' Door to Door'', and the only one without bassist and vocalist Benjamin Orr, who had died of panc ...

'', which was released on May 10, 2011.

Other

Hawkes also played with Ocasek as a solo artist, often playing both keyboards and bass guitar. He released a solo album, ''

Niagara Falls Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the Canada–United States border, border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York (s ...

'', in 1983. He also plays guitar, bass, percussion instruments, saxophone, clarinet and ukulele. In 2008 he released a solo album of Beatles songs performed on the ukulele. Hawkes received a writing credit for "Service with a Smile" on Virginia-based progressive rock band Happy the Man's second album ''

Crafty Hands ''Crafty Hands'' is an album by the progressive rock band Happy the Man, released in 1978. Only one track, "Wind Up Doll Day Wind," contains vocals. Reception Mike McLatchey of Exposé Online stated that the album displays "some of the best, mo ...

'' in 1978. In 1989, Chris Hughes asked Hawkes to come to England to record a new

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

song. He was featured on " Motor of Love" from the ''

Flowers in the Dirt ''Flowers in the Dirt'' is the eighth solo studio album by Paul McCartney. The album was released on 5 June 1989 on Parlophone, as he was embarking on his first world tour since the Wings Over the World tour in 1975–76. It earned McCartney som ...

'' album, recorded at McCartney's own recording studio in a vintage windmill just south of London. In 1995, Hawkes was a member of the Sky Dwellers, which also included Perry Geyer of

Manufacture Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to a r ...

. In 2009, Hawkes contributed synth to several tracks on the album ''Invisible Embraces'' by Boston-based new wave band New Collisions. Hawkes has also made at least two appearances in the children's television series ''

Yo Gabba Gabba! ''Yo Gabba Gabba!'' is a Children's television series, children's Musical film, musical television series created by Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz (producer), Scott Schultz and developed by Kay Wilson Stallings. The series is about five cos ...

'', where he appears in segments instructing the viewer on playing certain instruments. In one of his appearances where he teaches the viewers on playing the

ukulele The ukulele ( ; ); also called a uke (informally), is a member of the lute (ancient guitar) family of instruments. The ukulele is of Portuguese origin and was popularized in Hawaii. The tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and con ...

, he performed the Cars' hit single

You Might Think "You Might Think" is a song by American rock band the Cars from their fifth studio album, '' Heartbeat City'' (1984). The track was written by Ric Ocasek and produced by Mutt Lange and the Cars, with Ocasek also providing the lead vocals. The so ...

. On May 8, 2014, Hawkes appeared onstage with Californian comedy rock/new wave band

the Aquabats The Aquabats are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Huntington Beach, California, in 1994. Throughout many fluctuations in the group's line-up, singer Christian Jacobs, the MC Bat Commander and bassist Chad Larson, Crash McLarson have ...

at Boston's

Paradise Rock Club The Paradise Rock Club (formerly known as the Paradise Theater) is a 933-capacity music venue in Boston, Massachusetts. The venue accommodates small music festivals and non-music-related events. The Paradise is located on the edge of Boston Unive ...

, where he joined the band in playing synthesizer for a cover of the Cars' "

Just What I Needed "Just What I Needed" is a song by American rock band the Cars from their self-titled debut album (1978). The song, which first achieved radio success as a demo, took inspiration from the Ohio Express and the Velvet Underground. The song was wri ...

". In 2017, Hawkes toured with Todd Rundgren on his White Knights: The Chivalrock Tour, playing keyboards and saxophone. Hawkes also attended Rundgren's Toddstock event in 2018.

Current

Hawkes lives in

Lincoln, Massachusetts Lincoln is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,014 according to the 2020 United States census, including residents of Hanscom Air Force Base who live within town limits. The town, located in the MetroWe ...

, where he works as a

session musician A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...

. He was a member of the New Cars

a quasi-reformation of

that also featured original guitarist

. Filling in for other original Cars members were singer/guitarist

Utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or near-perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia (book), Utopia'', which describes a fictiona ...

bassist/vocalist

and former

Tubes Tube or tubes may refer to: * ''Tube'' (2003 film), a 2003 Korean film * "Tubes" (Peter Dale), performer on the Soccer AM television show * Tube (band), a Japanese rock band * Tube & Berger, the alias of dance/electronica producers Arndt Röri ...

drummer

Atom Ellis Atom Ellis (born April 8, 1966) is a bass guitarist from San Francisco, California. Musical career Atom was a founding member of the Thrash Funk band Psychefunkapus from 1986 to 1992 and a member of the San Francisco band Dieselhed from 1993 ...

filled in at bass when Kasim was touring with

Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), known professionally by his stage name Meat Loaf, was an American singer and actor. He was known for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. ...

. The band toured throughout 2006–2007. A live album with three new studio tracks, '' It's Alive!'', was released in June 2006. He is married and has two children. Before the Cars reunited in 2010, Hawkes played with

the Turtles The Turtles are an America, American Band (rock and pop), rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1965. The band achieved several Top 40 hits throughout the latter half of the 1960s, including "It Ain't Me Babe" (1965), "You Baby (song), ...

(starring Flo and Eddie) and

. In 2016, Hawkes produced Boston's acclaimed rock band Eddie Japan's 2017 album 'Golden Age'. In 2017 and 2018, Greg joined the band to perform “Moving in Stereo”, “Bye, Bye Love”, and “Let’s Go”, and a few surprise cover songs, at multiple shows. Starting in 2019 and continuing through 2024, the two perform a full night of music by the Cars, curated by Greg, throughout the North East and Mid Atlantic areas.

Ukulele

Since 2001 Hawkes has been playing and experimenting with the

, including renditions of the Cars songs " My Best Friend's Girl", "

", "

Tonight She Comes "Tonight She Comes" is a 1985 song by American rock band the Cars from their ''Greatest Hits'' album. It was released as a single in October 1985, reaching number seven on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in January 1986. The song reached number one on t ...

" and "

". In 2008, Hawkes released ''The Beatles Uke'' CD on Solid Air Records. The album consists of instrumental versions of 15

Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

classics, in what he calls a “UKEsymphonic” style, using multi-tracked recordings to create a ukulele orchestra. The CD is a testimony to the influence that the Beatles, particularly McCartney, have had on Hawkes' music and career. Among other instruments, Hawkes owns and plays a Talsma custom ukulele.

Discography

Solo albums

* ''

'' (1983) * ''The Beatles Uke'' (2008)

With the Cars

* ''

The Cars The Cars were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the New wave music, new wave Subculture, scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek (rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr (bass guitar), Elliot Easton (l ...

'' (1978) * ''

Candy-O ''Candy-O'' is the second studio album by American new wave band the Cars, released on June 2, 1979, by Elektra Records. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker, the album spawned two singles, " Let's Go" and " It's All I Can Do". The album outperformed ...

'' (1979) * ''

Panorama A panorama (formed from Greek language, Greek πᾶν "all" + ὅραμα "view") is any Obtuse angle, wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography (panoramic photography), film, seismic image ...

'' (1980) * '' Shake It Up'' (1981) * ''

Heartbeat City ''Heartbeat City'' is the fifth studio album by American New wave music, new wave band the Cars, released on March 12, 1984, by Elektra Records. This marks the band's first album not produced by long-time producer Roy Thomas Baker, instead opti ...

'' (1984) * ''

Door to Door Door-to-door is a canvassing technique that is generally used for sales, marketing, advertising, evangelism or campaigning, in which the person or persons walk from the door of one house to the door of another, trying to sell or advertise a pr ...

'' (1987) * ''

'' (2011)

Solo singles

* "Jet Lag" (1983) * "Backseat Waltz" (1983)

References

External links

Greg Hawkes's Official Website
(archived, incomplete; domain now defunct)
Greg Hawkes 2 hour interview on RundgrenRadio.com

Greg Hawkes performs Eleanor Rigby

Greg Hawkes on the Keyboards Special on RundgrenRadio.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hawkes, Greg American rock keyboardists The Cars members 1952 births Living people People from Fulton, Maryland American new wave musicians American session musicians The New Cars members People from Lincoln, Massachusetts Berklee College of Music alumni Atholton High School alumni 21st-century American keyboardists 20th-century American keyboardists Varèse Sarabande Records artists