Hawk was born in Huntington, West Virginia; his name was Harold Franklin Hawkins, but the music world came to know him as Hawkshaw Hawkins. He grew to be about six feet five inches tall. His nature and height probably had a hand in the fans giving him the nickname of “Eleven and one-half yards of personality.”

He was part of a family of four. When he was just 13 years old, he got his first guitar, a homemade one that he got in a trade for five rabbits. He continued his musical interests and got his first foot in the door through a bit of fate. There was an amateur radio contest in his hometown and someone dared Hawkshaw to enter the contest. He not only won the contest, but the radio station, WSAZ of Huntington, WV, gave him his first regular spot on the air.

In January of 1946, Hawkshaw was discharged from the military service. It appears that upon going home to resume his music career, he went first to the steel regions of Pennsylvania and hooked up with radio station WKST in New Castle. While he was there, an artists bureau member heard Hawkshaw’s singing and sent a recommendation to WWVA in Wheeling, West Virginia, the home of the World’s Original Jamboree. He made a guest appearance on that show on July 29, 1946 and in August, he joined the cast of the show. Over the years, Hawk became a great hit with the fans.

He recorded first for the King record label. On May 1, 1953, he signed with the RCA Victor label. Then he moved to Columbia before returning to the King label. Perhaps his most requested song at one time was Filipino Baby, for they wrote, “…what Hawkshaw can’t do with that song, no one can.”

Hawk left the Jamboree in 1954. After a brief stint with the new show “The Ozark Jubilee” in Springfield, Missouri, he went on to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

Throughout his career he searched for the smash hit, but never lived to see the day when one of his recorded songs would become the #1 hit in the country. On March 5, 1963, he, along with fellow Grand Ole Opry stars, Cowboy Copas and Patsy Cline, were returning from a benefit show (for a disc jockey that had lost his leg) in a plane piloted by Randy Hughes, the son-in-law of Cowboy Copas and the manager of Patsy Cline. The plane encountered a blinding thunderstorm that caused the plane to crash in the woods near Bruceton, Tennessee. Hawk’s latest release, “Lonesome 7-7203” became the number one song on the charts.

On the personal side, Hawkshaw was married at one time to a young lady from Huntington, WV, named Reva Barbour, who he later divorced. Their daughter was Marlene, who is now a Country Gospel singer/songwriter, author and speaker. He married again, this time to Jean Shepard, another famed country music singer who is also a part of the Grand Ole Opry. Hawk and Jean had two sons: Don Robin and Harold Franklin II. Harold was also a singer/songwriter.

Dave Sichak
Hillbilly-Music.com

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Hawkshaw Hawkins died in a plane crash on March 5, 1963, along with Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, and the pilot, Randy Hughes.  The plane crashed near Bruceton, Tennessee.