J.R. Hawkins DRUMZ

My playing career really started with my father, William Lee Hawkins. After 4 years at the NAVAL SCHOOL OF MUSIC in Annapolis, he was stationed with the 4th ARMY BAND at Fort Sam Houston, (San Antonio) Texas. This was a showcase band that played 'High Level' functions around the world, so he traveled alot. He played Trumpet and Coronet in that band, and played drums at night in smaller groups. He died when I was very young, but his 'genes' for drumming were in me at an early age. I started playing professionally when I was 15 years old. During my junior and senior years, myself and other "STRAIGHT A's" band students were part of the SAN ANTONIO SPURS JAZZ BAND. We played at all the home games. This was back when George Karl was the point-guard, and George "Iceman" Gervin was the star player. Set the wayback machine, Sherman. In 1974, I started playing in a showband with MIKE CLANCEY for real money at a nightclub called the GREAT GATSBY in San Antonio. Clancey went out on a limb hiring an 18 year old to play 5 nights a week, and I thank him every chance I get. (He's my brother-in-law now.) We wore candy colored leisure suits and played Elvis and Neil Diamond covers thru SHURE VOCAL MASTER P.A. systems. After 7 months I hated Elvis and Neil and longed to play other music. In January, 1975, I started playing with STEVE BOYES in PURE SMOKE. This band played CHICAGO, B S & T, TOWER OF POWER, AVERAGE WHITE BAND..............stuff you could sink your teeth into. In 1976, Steve went to work for UNITED ARTISTS in L.A. In 1977, Steve came back from L.A. and we joined 'Roadside Attaction", an RCA vocal band with great singers. When the album went nowhere, we started the STEVE BOYES Band to do Steve's own music. After a year of so-so success, Steve moved to Atlanta to a bigger music scene. I joined a vocal band called SANDCASTLE and had some success locally until I longed for a bigger music scene myself and came to Atlanta in 1982. In 1983, I joined THIS SIDE UP, replacing local drumming legend YONRICO SCOTT, who went to work for Whitney Houston. We played the college scene for a year and broke up. 1n 1984, Steve and I started another STEVE BOYES Band which had some success during which my theatrical career began in 1985 with ROCKY HORROR--LIVE starring RUPAUL. For complete theatrical bio info go to MySpace.com/jrhawkinsdrumz. In 1986, Steve and I performed THE WHO"S-TOMMY in the first production ever done in the U.S. with DENNIS WEST as Music Director. The Steve Boyes Band broke up soon after that, but Steve and I worked together again with MARY WILSON of the SUPREMES in "BEEHIVE", a 50's and 60's Girl Group musical with an all-star cast out of New York and Chicago. I played in various local bands during my theatrical career. After 3 national touring musicals, I joined SWAMI GONE BANANAS in 1997. For the next 10 years while playing musicals, I played in Buckhead at Mike & Angelos with the SWAMI and some of the finest players in the south. "SGB" is a 60's and 70's tribute band that does mostly GRATEFUL DEAD music in honor of JERRY GARCIA, who the SWAMI (Mike Shulman) worked for doing their stage-pass and T-shirt designs. He also does other design work for SANTANA, The DOOBIE BROTHERS, RATDOG, PHIL and FRIENDS, all the cool hippie design bands. I also do original music with RICHARD BICKNELL, a very talented singer, songwriter from Atlanta with 3 fine albums and a bright future. I play with Swami Gone Bananas to this day and still do about 4 musicals a year. Since I am a musician, I'm always poor. But it also means I have been on vacation my whole life. When I die my epitaph will read: I played drums my whole life.....BEAT THAT!!