Screamin' Jay Hawkins

Birthday: 18 July 1929, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Birth Name: Jalacy J. Hawkins

Height: 183 cm

Screamin' Jay Hawkins was best known for his song "I Put a Spell On You, " which he recorded on the Okeh label in 1956 and which helped win him cult status in the United States, Europe and Japan. He had originally planned the tune as a ballad, but after a night of heavy drinking he tried again--screaming, yelling and groaning--and never looked back. The snorting, some say "cannibalistic" delivery got "I Put A Spell On You" banned from radio stations across the country. Hawkins went on to use the same demented style again and again. An outrageous performer, he used bizarre stage props, often emerging out of coffins during shows. He would wield rubber snakes and fake tarantulas and wear a boar's tooth around his neck or a bone clipped to his nose. Jay Hawkins got his first break in 1951 as a pianist-valet to veteran jazz guitarist Tiny Grimes. His recording debut was 1952's "Why Did You Waste My Time, " backed by Grimes and his Rockin' Highlanders. In the 1960s, Ha! Show less «

Most people record songs about love, heartbreak, loneliness, being broke. Nobody's actually gone out...Show more »

Most people record songs about love, heartbreak, loneliness, being broke. Nobody's actually gone out and recorded a song about real pain! The band and I have just returned from the general hospital, where we caught a man in the right position. Show less «

When we began recording ["I Put A Spell On You"], we started out with a slow version. A week later I...Show more »

When we began recording ["I Put A Spell On You"], we started out with a slow version. A week later I was sitting at home, and they bring me a 78 of the thing. I put it on, I played it again and again. I thought they'd lied to me: this couldn't possibly be me singing like that. So I tried to see if I could reproduce that style of singing. I contorted my mouth this way and that. I couldn't do it. Finally I poured myself some J&B scotch, poured that down, and then I was able to do it like the record. Show less «

I came into this world black, naked and ugly. And no matter how much I accumulate here, it's a short...Show more »

I came into this world black, naked and ugly. And no matter how much I accumulate here, it's a short journey. I will go out of this world black, naked and ugly. So I enjoy life. Show less «

I went through two wars, WWII and the Korean War, and I'm still here. I got more marks on my body th...Show more »

I went through two wars, WWII and the Korean War, and I'm still here. I got more marks on my body than the average crossword puzzle from knives, bombs, bullets, and being cut in half by a Japanese colonel in a prisoner of war camp. Show less «

Something I wanted to do but never did is sing opera. That goes back to my respect for Paul Robeson ...Show more »

Something I wanted to do but never did is sing opera. That goes back to my respect for Paul Robeson and Mario Lanza, but when I got into the music business, opera didn't get into the charts; they were just putting rhythm and blues out. Show less «

(being asked if anyone ever questioned the bone he wore on his nose for concert performances) Consta...Show more »

(being asked if anyone ever questioned the bone he wore on his nose for concert performances) Constantly. Most of the world says you are crazy for doing it and I'd say you are absolutely right, but the best part of it is: I can go to the bank, and that's all I'm gonna say. Show less «

Screamin' Jay Hawkins

Screamin' Jay Hawkins's FILMOGRAPHY

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