Erskine Hawkins
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Wikipedia
Erskine Ramsay Hawkins (July 26, 1914—November 11, 1993) was a trumpet player and big band leader from Birmingham, Alabama, dubbed "The 20th Century Gabriel". He is most remembered as the composer of the jazz standard, "Tuxedo Junction" (1939), which became a popular hit during World War II, rising to #7 nationally (version by the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra) and to #1 nationally (version by the Glenn Miller Orchestra). Vocalists who were featured with Erskine's orchestra include Ida James, Delores Brown and Della Reese. (See Erskine Hawkins biographies at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame website and at AllAboutJazz.com.) Hawkins was named after Alabama industrialist Erskine Ramsay.
Early Years
Hawkins attended Councill Elementary School and Industrial High School (now known as Parker High School) in Birmingham, Alabama. At Industrial High School, he played in the band directed by Fess Whatley, a teacher who trained numerous African-American musicians, many of which populated the bands of famed band leaders such as Duke Ellington, Lucky Millinder, Louis Armstrong and Skitch Henderson (of the NBC Orchestra.)
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. He died in 1993 in Willingboro, New Jersey. Hawkins was an exact contemporary of another Birmingham jazz great, Sun Ra.
References
- Erskine Hawkins biography at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame website
- Erskine Hawkins biography at All About Jazz
- Erskine Hawkins biography at Allmusic.com
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Last updated on Saturday July 19, 2008 at 01:44:08 PDT (GMT -0700)
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Saturday July 19, 2008 at 01:44:08 PDT (GMT -0700)
View this article at Wikipedia.org - Edit this article at Wikipedia.org - Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation
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