Ronnie Hawkins, Canadian Rocker and ‘Last Waltz’ Performer, Dead at 87

Ronnie Hawkins, the Southern rockabilly musician with roots in the Canadian music scene, has died at 87. His widow, Wanda, confirmed the passing but did not reveal a cause of death. “He went peacefully and he looked as handsome as ever,” she told The Canadian Press (via Deadline).

Hawkins earned names like Mr. Dynamo, Sir Ronnie, Rompin’ Ronnie, and The Hawk during his career. He is also known for his connection to The Band and their legendary concert film The Last Waltz. Hawkins’ backing band, the Hawks, played with Bob Dylan after he went electric in the mid-60s and would see five of its members go on to form The Band, including Levon Helm, Rick Danko and Robbie Robertson.

Hawkins was known for tunes like “Ruby Baby,” “Mary Lou,” and a cover of Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love.” He also gets credit for bringing key musicians together, evidenced by his appearance in The Last Waltz.

“He was really good at gathering musicians that he thought were the best around,” Robbie Robertson told The Canadian Press in 2016. “It was like a bootcamp for musicians to go through, learn the music and when to do certain things and not do certain things. He just played a real pivotal part in all of it.”

Rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins, who called Canada home and helped mentor the 1st band from this country inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has died at 87. The Arkansas-born musician received an honourary Order of Canada appointment in 2014. https://t.co/S4Ix9NV7FC

— CBC News Alerts (@CBCAlerts) May 29, 2022

Hawkins was born in Arkansas in 1935 and joined the Army reserve shortly after his high school days. From there he opened the Rockwood Club in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with Deadline noting that acts like Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and Conway Twitty would make their way to perform at the venue.

He would move to Canada in 1958 and grow his legacy with rock and roll, winning over audiences that couldn’t get enough of it. Hawkins also earned the title of “The father of Canadian rock ‘n’ roll” due to his tendency to help fellow musicians, lending money and transportation when needed. A great example is how he let John Lennon and Yoko Ono stay on his farm in Ontario for a few weeks around the time of their “bed-in” for peace in Montreal. He never officially gave up on music after his final album release in 2002, continuing to help out or give space to musicians in need, like Kris Kristofferson and Gordon Lightfoot using his home studio for recording sessions.