charlene
12-02-2012, 05:52 PM
http://www.durhamregion.com/what's%20on/article/1547265--ronnie-hawkins-dishes-in-oshawa
Mike Ruta
|
Dec 02, 2012 - 1:51 PM
.
Ronnie Hawkins dishes in Oshawa
Rockabilly legend reminisces at Regent Theatre
picture @ link
Ronnie Hawkins: in his own words:
On guitar wizard Roy Buchanan: "He was mysterious. He did things that were unbelievable."
On John Lennon: "I liked old John.... John, it was just like talking to a country boy."
On Yoko Ono: "Yoko I couldn't figure out. She was too educated."
On Gordon Lightfoot: "There's nobody like Gordon Lightfoot."
On Pierre Elliott Trudeau: "He was hip."
On the fantastic musicians he's had in his band: "When you sing as bad as I do, you got to have a good band."
OSHAWA -- Smoking a joint with John Lennon and Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Discovering the moon walk -- long before Michael Jackson made it famous. And, after an appeal from Robbie Robertson's concerned mom, giving the young guitarist a job -- running errands.
Ronnie Hawkins, one of Canada's most beloved adopted sons, reminisced for a sold-out Regent Theatre crowd in Oshawa Saturday night.
The Arkansas native and rockabilly legend, who came to Ontario for work in the 1950s and never left, walked out on stage to a standing ovation and, prompted by radio host John Donabie, drew applause and laughs as he mined his extensive musical memories.
"Keep them girls back," the 77-year-old quipped as he got comfortable in a chair. "I'm gettin' old; I can't handle more than three or four."
The Hawk came to Canada in 1958, completely ignorant about the country, and played his first gig in Hamilton. But the man who was to have a huge and lasting impact on music here and around the world said it was an inauspicious debut. It was a Monday night, and there were seven people in the place, Hawkins recalled.
"I played one or two songs and six of them left; true story," he said to laughs.
The club owner was furious and bellowed, 'Get those hillbillies out of here'.
The Hawk ensured his next gig in the place would go over better, arranging to have 50 or 60 people there.
"That club hadn't had that many people in there since World War Two," Hawkins said. "And that's how it started."
In Toronto, he made a splash at Le Coq d'Or, where he and his band set up shop for the better part of a decade. Ironically, it was Hawkins who introduced Toronto music fans to some of the best musicians in the country because, he said, Canadians weren't hired then.
Among them, in the early 1960s, were the men who were to become The Band. Levon Helm was a fellow Arkansas native who Hawkins recruited in the States after he graduated from high school. As for pianist and vocalist Richard Manuel, Hawkins said he liked Manuel's voice but set him to work practising because his piano was a bit weak. Bassist Rick Danko was an apprentice butcher in Simcoe, Ontario, engaged to a prosperous farmer's only child. Robbie Robertson was known as one of the best up-and-coming guitarists. Robertson's mother approached Hawkins, worried after Robertson had left school. He started out running errands for the band until, one night in Arkansas, The Hawk gave him a shot, first on bass, then on rhythm guitar.
The stroll down memory lane featured special guests, including singer Robbie Lane.
"Ronnie, you've been my mentor my entire life," he said. "I love you; I look up to you."
Lane recalled that at one of Hawkins's gigs, someone told him there was a young singer in the audience and Hawkins invited Lane up on stage.
"I was really nervous," Lane recalled.
Lane would learn that the Hawk had ulterior motives.
"He was so hungover, he needed help," Lane said. "But that was only one time he was hungover."
"He never ages, folks," Hawkins said of Lane. "He's like Dick Clark."
Canadian Country Music Hall of Famer Johnny Burke recalled listening to Hawkins's voice on an album that featured Hank Williams's songs, thinking, 'that's the way to sing country'."
Durham's own Spider Jones, a singer, Canadian Boxing Hall of Famer, journalist and, like Hawkins, a former bad boy, said most of the stories he could tell were "not for this place... this is a family show."
But Jones recalled taking the stage with Hawkins to sing one night, decked out in a three-piece, sharkskin suit.
"It was tight -- and I was tight," Jones said.
At one point during a song Jones did the splits -- and so did his pants, right to his crotch.
"That day I had no underwear on," Jones said.
Hawkins's response to the audience?
"Spider Jones, he's got an ---hole full of soul."
Mike Ruta
|
Dec 02, 2012 - 1:51 PM
.
Ronnie Hawkins dishes in Oshawa
Rockabilly legend reminisces at Regent Theatre
picture @ link
Ronnie Hawkins: in his own words:
On guitar wizard Roy Buchanan: "He was mysterious. He did things that were unbelievable."
On John Lennon: "I liked old John.... John, it was just like talking to a country boy."
On Yoko Ono: "Yoko I couldn't figure out. She was too educated."
On Gordon Lightfoot: "There's nobody like Gordon Lightfoot."
On Pierre Elliott Trudeau: "He was hip."
On the fantastic musicians he's had in his band: "When you sing as bad as I do, you got to have a good band."
OSHAWA -- Smoking a joint with John Lennon and Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Discovering the moon walk -- long before Michael Jackson made it famous. And, after an appeal from Robbie Robertson's concerned mom, giving the young guitarist a job -- running errands.
Ronnie Hawkins, one of Canada's most beloved adopted sons, reminisced for a sold-out Regent Theatre crowd in Oshawa Saturday night.
The Arkansas native and rockabilly legend, who came to Ontario for work in the 1950s and never left, walked out on stage to a standing ovation and, prompted by radio host John Donabie, drew applause and laughs as he mined his extensive musical memories.
"Keep them girls back," the 77-year-old quipped as he got comfortable in a chair. "I'm gettin' old; I can't handle more than three or four."
The Hawk came to Canada in 1958, completely ignorant about the country, and played his first gig in Hamilton. But the man who was to have a huge and lasting impact on music here and around the world said it was an inauspicious debut. It was a Monday night, and there were seven people in the place, Hawkins recalled.
"I played one or two songs and six of them left; true story," he said to laughs.
The club owner was furious and bellowed, 'Get those hillbillies out of here'.
The Hawk ensured his next gig in the place would go over better, arranging to have 50 or 60 people there.
"That club hadn't had that many people in there since World War Two," Hawkins said. "And that's how it started."
In Toronto, he made a splash at Le Coq d'Or, where he and his band set up shop for the better part of a decade. Ironically, it was Hawkins who introduced Toronto music fans to some of the best musicians in the country because, he said, Canadians weren't hired then.
Among them, in the early 1960s, were the men who were to become The Band. Levon Helm was a fellow Arkansas native who Hawkins recruited in the States after he graduated from high school. As for pianist and vocalist Richard Manuel, Hawkins said he liked Manuel's voice but set him to work practising because his piano was a bit weak. Bassist Rick Danko was an apprentice butcher in Simcoe, Ontario, engaged to a prosperous farmer's only child. Robbie Robertson was known as one of the best up-and-coming guitarists. Robertson's mother approached Hawkins, worried after Robertson had left school. He started out running errands for the band until, one night in Arkansas, The Hawk gave him a shot, first on bass, then on rhythm guitar.
The stroll down memory lane featured special guests, including singer Robbie Lane.
"Ronnie, you've been my mentor my entire life," he said. "I love you; I look up to you."
Lane recalled that at one of Hawkins's gigs, someone told him there was a young singer in the audience and Hawkins invited Lane up on stage.
"I was really nervous," Lane recalled.
Lane would learn that the Hawk had ulterior motives.
"He was so hungover, he needed help," Lane said. "But that was only one time he was hungover."
"He never ages, folks," Hawkins said of Lane. "He's like Dick Clark."
Canadian Country Music Hall of Famer Johnny Burke recalled listening to Hawkins's voice on an album that featured Hank Williams's songs, thinking, 'that's the way to sing country'."
Durham's own Spider Jones, a singer, Canadian Boxing Hall of Famer, journalist and, like Hawkins, a former bad boy, said most of the stories he could tell were "not for this place... this is a family show."
But Jones recalled taking the stage with Hawkins to sing one night, decked out in a three-piece, sharkskin suit.
"It was tight -- and I was tight," Jones said.
At one point during a song Jones did the splits -- and so did his pants, right to his crotch.
"That day I had no underwear on," Jones said.
Hawkins's response to the audience?
"Spider Jones, he's got an ---hole full of soul."