Ronnie Hawkins

Ronnie Hawkins was born in Huntsville, Arkansas, on January 10, 1935, two days after Elvis Presley was born. His mother was a teacher and his father was a barber. The family moved to nearby Fayetteville, Arkansas, when Ronnie was nine years old. During high school, Ronnie served in the National Guard, which was mandatory for all at that time, yet he still had time to dabble in his first love: music. He knew music was his life when the unapproachable girls swooned for his singing. When he graduated from high school, he enrolled at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, majoring in physical education. It was there that he formed his first band, The Hawks, and toured with them regionally in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. After attending college, Ronnie joined the Army and served six months of active duty. He attended basic training at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, for three months and was then moved to Fort Sill in Oklahoma. This was his home for the next three months where he went into special services. During this time, Ronnie continued pursuing his passion for music, often performing for Officers' Clubs. He eventually heard from other musicians about a man named A.C. Reed. It was Reed that took a young, naive Ronnie under his wing with his band, The Black Hawks.