Gordon Lightfoot Forums - View Single Post - Order of Canada for Ronnie Hawkins-Gord thinks so too..

charlene · 07-08-2008, 12:50 PM

http://ottsun.canoe.ca/News/National...94056-sun.html

Tue, July 8, 2008

Hawk soars above Order of Canada
By EARL MCRAE, OTTAWA SUN

"It's an outrage that the Hawk doesn't have the Order Of Canada."

-- Burton Cummings, The Guess Who, 1972

Charles Aznavour? Give me a bloody break.

A bunch of precious, ignorant, pompous stuffed-shirts on the Order of Canada advisory council approve Charles Aznavour, the singer from France who's been around since the Dead Sea was only sick, for the award in the honourary category for non-Canadians.

You heard me right. Charles Aznavour. What the hell has Charles Aznavour ever done for Canadian culture that has a smidge of comparison to the cultural greatness of what another Order of Canada-overlooked non-Canadian singer has contributed to this country -- Ronnie Hawkins?

Rompin' Ronnie Hawkins.

Mr. Dynamo.

The Hawk.

Ronald Cornet Hawkins, Arkansas-born and bred, the "Grandaddy of Canadian Rock 'n' Roll," the rockabilly sensation who came to this country in 1958, loved Canada so much he never returned home, single-handedly kicked down the barriers to Canadian pop artists, hired them for his bands, trained them, showcased their talents that others wouldn't, sent many of them on their way to national and international stardom including The Band, David Clayton-Thomas, King Biscuit Boy, Robbie Lane and The Disciples, Dominic Troiano, Crowbar -- the list goes on and on.

Robbie Robertson, formerly of The Band, has the Order of Canada. He credits Ronnie Hawkins with giving him his start.

David Foster has the Order of Canada. He credits Ronnie Hawkins with giving him his start.

Gordon Lightfoot has the Order of Canada. He didn't get his start with Ronnie Hawkins, but the Canadian legend is one of the legion of Hawkins fans who doesn't understand why he hasn't been inducted into the Order -- Gordon Lightfoot who even wrote a song about the iconic Hawkins, The Talking Silver Cloud Blues.

Canadian rock singer Tom Cochrane has the Order of Canada. Tom Cochrane. Spare me. When it comes to talent, teaching, charisma, promoting Canadian musical culture, Mr. Thomas Cochrane is not qualified to stand in the same room as Ronnie Hawkins.

In fact, none of the Order of Canada music stars who -- with the exception of Lightfoot -- are as qualified as Hawkins for the honour he's never received, not one of them.

Hawkins has been nominated. His nomination has been dissed. Ronnie Hawkins who -- the dolts on the advisory council should know -- has a place of honour on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto, has a Juno Award, has the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award for "his development of Canada's music industry" and has been inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame.

There are 16 non-Canadians with the honourary Order of Canada, supposedly for the award's mandate of significantly contributing to the Canadian way of life. Oh really? Nelson Mandela? How? Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the former secretary-general of the UN? How? Vaclav Hamel, the former president of the Czech Republic? How? Did they leave their homelands to settle and work and contribute in Canada? Geez, I must have missed it.

Another who has the honourary Order of Canada is the late economist/academic John Kenneth Galbraith. John Kenneth Galbraith who loved living, working, and contributing in Canada so much that he took off for the States a million years ago, stayed and became a U.S. citizen.

But Ronnie Hawkins who came the other way, stayed, never went back to America to live? Nope. Not good enough for the nation he fell in love with and in which he is more "Canadian" than most Canadians, including the massive oafs on the Order of Canada advisory council.

The Hawk is 73. His health isn't the greatest. He's hugely cut back his performing. Yet he still cracks about "the Big Time just being around the corner."

For God's sake, let that Big Time be the honourary Order of Canada for Ronald Cornet Hawkins.

07-08-2008, 12:50 PM	#1
charlene Moderator Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 16,001	Order of Canada for Ronnie Hawkins-Gord thinks so too.. http://ottsun.canoe.ca/News/National...94056-sun.html Tue, July 8, 2008 Hawk soars above Order of Canada By EARL MCRAE, OTTAWA SUN "It's an outrage that the Hawk doesn't have the Order Of Canada." -- Burton Cummings, The Guess Who, 1972 Charles Aznavour? Give me a bloody break. A bunch of precious, ignorant, pompous stuffed-shirts on the Order of Canada advisory council approve Charles Aznavour, the singer from France who's been around since the Dead Sea was only sick, for the award in the honourary category for non-Canadians. You heard me right. Charles Aznavour. What the hell has Charles Aznavour ever done for Canadian culture that has a smidge of comparison to the cultural greatness of what another Order of Canada-overlooked non-Canadian singer has contributed to this country -- Ronnie Hawkins? Rompin' Ronnie Hawkins. Mr. Dynamo. The Hawk. Ronald Cornet Hawkins, Arkansas-born and bred, the "Grandaddy of Canadian Rock 'n' Roll," the rockabilly sensation who came to this country in 1958, loved Canada so much he never returned home, single-handedly kicked down the barriers to Canadian pop artists, hired them for his bands, trained them, showcased their talents that others wouldn't, sent many of them on their way to national and international stardom including The Band, David Clayton-Thomas, King Biscuit Boy, Robbie Lane and The Disciples, Dominic Troiano, Crowbar -- the list goes on and on. Robbie Robertson, formerly of The Band, has the Order of Canada. He credits Ronnie Hawkins with giving him his start. David Foster has the Order of Canada. He credits Ronnie Hawkins with giving him his start. Gordon Lightfoot has the Order of Canada. He didn't get his start with Ronnie Hawkins, but the Canadian legend is one of the legion of Hawkins fans who doesn't understand why he hasn't been inducted into the Order -- Gordon Lightfoot who even wrote a song about the iconic Hawkins, The Talking Silver Cloud Blues. Canadian rock singer Tom Cochrane has the Order of Canada. Tom Cochrane. Spare me. When it comes to talent, teaching, charisma, promoting Canadian musical culture, Mr. Thomas Cochrane is not qualified to stand in the same room as Ronnie Hawkins. In fact, none of the Order of Canada music stars who -- with the exception of Lightfoot -- are as qualified as Hawkins for the honour he's never received, not one of them. Hawkins has been nominated. His nomination has been dissed. Ronnie Hawkins who -- the dolts on the advisory council should know -- has a place of honour on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto, has a Juno Award, has the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award for "his development of Canada's music industry" and has been inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame. There are 16 non-Canadians with the honourary Order of Canada, supposedly for the award's mandate of significantly contributing to the Canadian way of life. Oh really? Nelson Mandela? How? Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the former secretary-general of the UN? How? Vaclav Hamel, the former president of the Czech Republic? How? Did they leave their homelands to settle and work and contribute in Canada? Geez, I must have missed it. Another who has the honourary Order of Canada is the late economist/academic John Kenneth Galbraith. John Kenneth Galbraith who loved living, working, and contributing in Canada so much that he took off for the States a million years ago, stayed and became a U.S. citizen. But Ronnie Hawkins who came the other way, stayed, never went back to America to live? Nope. Not good enough for the nation he fell in love with and in which he is more "Canadian" than most Canadians, including the massive oafs on the Order of Canada advisory council. The Hawk is 73. His health isn't the greatest. He's hugely cut back his performing. Yet he still cracks about "the Big Time just being around the corner." For God's sake, let that Big Time be the honourary Order of Canada for Ronald Cornet Hawkins.