Bob Dylan by Robert Shelton

Author:Robert Shelton [MacKay, Kathleen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-85712-241-4
Publisher: Music Sales Corp.
Published: 2010-09-10T04:00:00+00:00

RONNIE HAWKINS

(WITH THE BAND)

“Ronnie Hawkins is the rockabilly singer whose young, hard-driving band, The Hawks, played Toronto clubs with him in the early ‘60s and later backed Bob Dylan as The Band. It was in 1965 that Dylan heard The Hawks and asked them to go on the road with him as he moved from folk to rock. They changed their name to The Band and with Dylan developed their winning combination of rock, blues, country, and rockabilly. In the following years, The Band’s lives and careers changed as they made music history, producing some of rock’s best-loved albums, including Music From Big Pink and The Band. Despite the great success that performing with Dylan brought them, The Band’s music careers really began with Ronnie Hawkins. “We’d grown up with Ronnie Hawkins, playing that quicker tempo of tunes,” said drummer Levon Helm. Hawkins has had insight into the lives of Dylan and The Band afforded to few others and has remained their loyal friend.

“I’ve thought about you a thousand times!” was how Hawkins greeted me on the telephone when I called to schedule a visit with him. It was 1976 when we first met at The Last Waltz, The Band’s farewell concert in San Francisco. The concert was filmed by Martin Scorsese and its eponymous documentary is one of the best rock films ever made. A reporter for People magazine, I went to the Miyako Hotel the day before the concert. Many of the performers were staying there, and I met the friendly and funny Ronnie Hawkins in the hotel lobby, where he was chatting with Eric Clapton and Patti Harrison. He invited me to the dress rehearsal, where I met Van Morrison, Paul Butter field, Albert Grossman, and others. Later there were casual get-togethers back at the hotel. The next night, after the concert—whose performing guests included Joni Mitchell, Dr. John, Neil Diamond, and Neil Young—Hawkins gave me backstage privileges and suggested we hop in a van that was taking musicians to the post-concert party at the Miyako. Hawkins and I jumped into the van after Bob Dylan. At the party we were among the first to arrive and sat at a round table with Eric Clapton, Dylan, and Ronee Blakely. Dylan nervously tapped his long, delicate fingers on the table, he was fidgeting and ready for drinks to be served. “The guilty undertaker sighs/ the lonesome organ grinder cries/ The silver saxophone says I should refuse you.” Hawkins imitated Dylan as we chatted around the table. Hawkins’ irreverent sense of humor helped lighten up everyone. “Hell, I have eaten so much sushi I feel like a 250 lb. thermometer!” he cracked about his stay in San Francisco’s Japantown. Later, Neil Young came in with his arm around Joni Mitchell. He began jamming with Robbie Robertson and John Hammond, Jr. All the musicians who performed at The Last Waltz filled the party.

During Hawkins’ long, steady, and successful career as a rockabilly singer, he has collected a distinguished assortment of

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.