“Susie Q” Writer and Rockabilly Star Dale Hawkins Dead at 73

[dbt]

Rockabilly legend Dale Hawkins, whose hit “Susie Q” ranks among the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs That Shaped Rock & Roll, passed away on February 13th in Little Rock, Arkansas, following a long battle with colon cancer, the Arkansas Times reports. Hawkins was 73. A member of both the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, Hawkins is most recognized for penning the 1957 classic “Susie Q,” a song that was covered by the Rolling Stones’ on their 12 X 5 in 1964 and the Creedence Clearwater Revival for their self-titled debut album in 1968.

In addition to be(ing) a rockabilly icon, Hawkins served as producer on Hot 100 hits like John Fred & His Playboy Band’s “Judy in Disguise.” (ETA: Let us not forget "I See The Light" and "Western Union" by The Five Americans.) Hawkins’ cousin was Ronnie Hawkins, who at one point was the frontman of the Hawks, which went on to become the Band.

A bit more...

[Tikki]

1. Amazing talent...

RIP


Tikki

[fishwax]

2. also did I Put a Spell on You

which is (in my book) a much much better song than Susie Q, whether his original version, cover versions by by Creedence Clearwater Revival, by Nina Simone or several other artists who have covered it.

RIP to a great talent :patriot:

[Zomby Woof]

6. That was Screamin' Jay Hawkins

Not the same guy.

[fishwax]

7. oh jeez -- duh

I'd just gotten home when I posted. I guess I'd left my brain at the office :rofl:

[Zomby Woof]

8. Blame John Fogerty

He did songs by both on one album. He was on some kind of Hawkins kick I guess. :-)

[retread]

11. Then there was this one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hks_t-HzSc&feature=related

[old mark]

3. One of the godfathers.

Hope you had a good run, Dale, you gave everyone a lot of great music.



mark

[abq e streeter]

4. sad to hear of his passing....always loved this one too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80uUbRVJC8c

and never knew ( should've, but didn't) that he'd produced the Five Americans. Weird; I'd just been thinking about them yesterday for absolutely no reason...

[Vidar]

5. Damn. I love rockabilly. May you continue to rock in your next existence, Dale!

[dbt]

9. He was a radio sales rep for a while.

It was 1978 or '79 when the sales manager brought the new guy around and introduced him to the air staff at KLAZ in Little Rock. His name certainly rang a bell and he looked old enough that he coulda been the Dale Hawkins.

The first waves of staffers had left at 5:00 that day, so he and I were the only ones waiting for the elevator when I worked up the nerve to ask him. "Yeah, that's me," he replied with the most disarming grin. He might have stood 5' 10" with sandy-blond hair that showed traces of having been a pompadour twenty years earlier. There wasn't an ounce of fat on him. To this day, I believe I was the only goob at the station who knew who he was!

All I knew of his work then was "Susie Q" and he told me that he had had almost as much fun producing records as he did performing. I was pretty fond of The Five Americans, John Fred And His Playboy Band, and The Uniques (all regional acts who nonetheless got considerable airplay on KAAY in their time), so my jaw nearly hit the floor when he told me he had produced them! His records had a great, raw sound--as if he just set the band up in the studio and rolled tape. Which is pretty much what he did (musta been that Rockabilly attitude).

He didn't last long in the KLAZ sales department--nobody ever did. The next time we crossed paths was twenty years later when he had Hawk's Nest recording studios in North Little Rock. His schedule didn't permit him to produce a recording for my band, as he was leaving for Europe in a couple of days. "Them Germans is ape shit crazy for Rockabilly," he told me. "Hell, I can't even walk down the street over there without somebody stickin' a camera in my face!"

So that's how I remember Dale: just a regular guy who was famous on the side. I'm sure DU Loungers will appreciate the fact that he kept a litter box in the control room of his studio. Yes, he loved cats.

Rock on, Hawk. I'm glad I got to meet you!

[LiberalEsto]

10. Godspeed, Dale Hawkins

I love the song "Susie Q".

SusiQ is one of my nicknames.

[bluesbassman]

12. RIP Dale.

Although CCR's version of Susie Q is my favorite, it was still Dale's tune and music is that much better for all of his contributions.

Safe passage Mr. Hawkins. :thumbsup: