<back - SCREAMIN' JAY HAWKINS - Screamin' Jay Hawkins was the most outrageous performer extant during rock's dawn. Prone to emerging out of coffins onstage, a flaming skull named Henry his constant companion, Screamin' Jay was an insanely theatrical figure long before it was even remotely acceptable. Hawkins' life story is almost as bizarre as his onstage shtick. Originally inspired by the booming baritone of Paul Robeson, Hawkins was unable to break as an opera singer. His boxing was every bit as lethal as his vocal chords. His first musical break in 1951 as pianist to guitarist Tiny Grimes. He debuted on wax for Gotham the following year with 'Why Did You Waste My Time' backed by Tiny Grimes and his Rockin' Highlanders.

This recording preceded Screamin' Jay Hawkins immortal 1956 rendering of his signature song I Put a Spell on You for the Okeh label. Screamin' Jay originally envisioned the I Put A Spell on You as a refined ballad. After he and his session aces had imbibed to the point of no return, Hawkins screamed, grunted, moaned n' gurgled his way through the tune with utter abandon. A resultant success despite the protests of uptight suits-in-power, 'Spell' became his biggest seller. He cut several amazing 1957-58 follow-ups in the same crazed vein Hong Kong a surreal Yellow Coat, the Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller penned Alligator Wine. But none of them clicked the way 'Spell' had. Screamin' Jay Hawkins next truly inspired waxing came in 1969 when he was contracted to Philips Records. His gross 'Constipation Blues' wouldn't garner much airplay, but remains an integral part of his legacy to this day. The cinema was a beneficiary of Screamin' Jay's larger-than-life persona in later years. His featured roles in Mystery Train and A Rage in Harlem made him a familiar visage to youngsters who never even heard 'I Put a Spell on You'. He died February 12, 2000 following surgery to treat an aneurysm; Jay Hawkins was 70 and fathered over 50 children. Screamin' Jay Hawkins received the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Pioneer Award in 1998. MP3 - I Put A Spell On U | Frenzy | Make Believe | I Don't Know |