Interview with Al Hawkes, October 9, 2007

Partial Transcript: --for watching this archive. Uh, it's Tuesday, October 9th, 2007...

Segment Synopsis: Al Hawkes is introduced. He talks about growing up in Rhode Island and Maine. He talks about his parents' musical abilities and how he became interested in music at an early age. He talks about both his and his father's interest in the technical aspects of radio and broadcasting, and how he began building radios from kits as a child. He talks about creating an illegal radio station in high school, broadcasting country, bluegrass, and old time music to the area around his town until he got word that the FCC was going to shut him down. He talks about starting a small business selling and repairing radios in high school.

Keywords: DJs; Deejays; Disc jockeys; Electronics technicians; Family; Fathers; Gibson A4 mandolins; Ham radio; High schools; Hobbies; Hobby; Illegal; Influences; KDKA (Radio station); Maine; Mandolin players; Mandolins; Mothers; Pawtucket (R.I.); Pianos; Providence (R.I.); Radio kits; Radio repair; Radio shows; Radio transmission; Radio transmitters; Sales; Selling; Small businesses; Stores; Teachers; Technical; Technology; WW2A (Radio station); WWVA (Radio station)

Subjects: Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Childhood; Country music.; Families.; Music.; Musical ability in children.; Radio programs.; Radio stations.

Partial Transcript: And was it from there--after you got out of high school you went to--you say you went to Boston to study--

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes talks about how he excelled at the Massachusetts Radio and Broadcast School, despite his previous poor grades in high school. He talks about how earning his broadcasting license led him to a job with the Armed Forces Radio Service in Tripoli, Libya during his time in the Korean War. He talks about being a disc jockey, playing music on the radio, and later playing live shows for the troops.

Keywords: Africa; Air Force; Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron; Archives; Archiving; Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS); Bicycles; Boston (Mass.); Broadcast licenses; Broken ribs; DJs; Deejays; Disc jockeys; Entertainment; FCC License; Fathers; Grades; High schools; Hospitals; Mandolin players; Mandolins; Massachusetts Radio and Broadcast School; Military bases; Military life; Military troops; National Guard; Radar mechanics; Radio studios; Recording studios; Ship to shore radio; Tripoli

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Korean War, 1950-1953; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Radio programs.; Radio stations.; Records.; Songs.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: Uh, but right now, uh, Al, if we may, I'd like to go back to your own personal radio station, illegal though it was--(Hawkes laughs)--

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes talks more about his illegal radio station in high school and the popularity of country, bluegrass, and old time music in his area of the Northeast. He talks about some of the radio stations they could hear, as well as some of the local acts who were playing that style of music. He talks more about the musicians who influenced his playing style.

Keywords: Bailes Brothers (Artist); Bill Monroe (Artist); Childhood; Chores; Cowboy acts; Farms; Fathers; High schools; Illegal; Influences; Learning to play; Listening; Local acts; Mandolin players; Mandolins; Monroe, Bill (Artist); Mothers; Mountain music; Neighbors; Northeast; Popularity; Reception; Southern music; Touring; Tours; WCKY (Radio station); WW2A (Radio station); WWVA (Radio station); Wheeling Jamboree (Radio program)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Radio programs.; Radio stations.; Records.; Songs.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: Well, Al, apparently while you were still a teenager you were able to find a few other people who were of like mind to you who were willing to perform with you on your illegal homemade radio station.

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes talks about how, as a teenager, he met a fellow country and old time music enthusiast, Alton Meyers. He talks about how he was surprised to find Alton was interested because he was an African American man. He talks about forming a band with Alton, called "Allerton & Alton, the Cumberland Ridge Runners." He talks about their radio shows and other performances.

Keywords: "Hillbilly show"; 1954; Al Hawkes and the Cumberland Ridge Runners (Artist); Allerton & Alton, the Cumberland Ridge Runners (Artist); Alton Myers (Artist); Concerts; Don Williams (Artist); Duos; Gigs; Guitar players; Illegal; Live shows; Military; Movie theaters; Myers, Alton (Artist); People of color; Portland (Me.); Pre-recorded; Radio broadcasting; Radio shows; Shows; Southern accents; Southerners; Teenagers; Television; Town and Country Time (Radio program); Williams, Don (Artist); Young people

Subjects: African American musicians.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Integration; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Radio programs.; Radio stations.; Records.; Songs.; Sound recordings.; Sound--Recording and reproducing; United States--Race relations.

Partial Transcript: Welcome back.

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes talks about some of the experimental bands he joined. He talks about how, during his time in the military, he was stationed in Mississippi and began to play in jazz bands in New Orleans.

Keywords: 1950s; 1952; Al Hawkes and His String Fusion (Artist); Al Hawkes and the Nighthawkes (Artist); Bluegrass Nighthawkes (Artist); Bluegrass bands; C.O. Club; Django Reinhardt (Artist); Double stops; Experimentation; Jazz bands; Learning to play; Mandolin players; Mandolins; Military; New Orleans (La.); Reinhardt, Django (Artist); Techniques; Tenor banjos

Subjects: African American musicians.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; United States--Race relations.

Partial Transcript: And some--at some point in the mid-fifties Al, uh, you established a recording company.

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes talks about how a snowstorm trapped the Bailey Brothers at his house during a tour, and how this event led to the idea for his recording company and record label, Event Records.

Keywords: 1956; Arms; Bailey Brothers (Artist); Bailey, Charlie (Artist); Band members; Charlie Bailey (Artist); Concerts; Event Records; Feet; Gigs; Greeley, Richard; Myers, Ray R. (Artist); Ray R. Myers (Artist); Record companies; Record company; Record labels; Recording companies; Recording company; Richard Greeley; Shows; Snowstorms; Touring; Tours; Wife

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Records.; Songs.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: And, uh, we started recording people like Charlie Bailey and then the Lilly Brothers because they were in Boston.

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes describes one of his early recording sessions, with the Lilly Brothers and Don Stover. He talks about how Don Stover kept watching the clock. He talks about how they created the sound effect for the steel-driving in the song "John Henry." He tells a humorous story about camping with the Lilly Brothers and Don Stover.

Keywords: 1957; Ampex recorders; Bea Lilly (Artist); Camping; Canoes; Clocks; Coke bottles; Don Stover (Artist); Everett Lilly (Artist); Foley; John Henry (Song); Lilly Brothers (Artist); Lilly, Bea (Artist); Lilly, Everett (Artist); Metal; Payment; Recording sessions; Records, kinds of: 45 rpm; Records, kinds of: lacquer masters; Recreation; Regrets; Soda bottles; Sound effects; Sounds; Stover, Don (Artist); Takes; Timing

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Records.; Songs.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: Uh, but I want to get back to Event Records.

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes talks about the success of Event Records, despite being questioned about being from the North. He talks about record sales for bluegrass, country, and old time music in the North.

Keywords: 1957; Columbia Records; DJs; Deejays; Disc jockeys; Event Records; Hometowns; Influences; King Records; Mountain music; Northern; Popularity; RCA Records; Record distribution; Record labels; Sales; Southern; Success; Westbrook (Me.)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music.; Musical groups.; Musicians; Records.; Songs.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: So by, by 1957, the Lilly Brothers and Don Stover had recorded on your label, Event Records.

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes talks about his business partners in Event Records, Richard Greeley and Cecil Stein. He talks about how a fire at their warehouse led to the end of their partnership in Event Records. He talks about how he kept the master recordings they had made. He talks about continuing to record under the Event Records label currently.

Keywords: 1962; Boston (Mass.); Business partners; Business partnerships; Capital; Cecil Stein; Curless, Dick (Artist); Dick Curless (Artist); Event Records; Fires; Greeley, Richard; Investors; One-stop dealers; Pop music; Popular music; Production; Record distribution; Record labels; Record pressing plants; Records, kinds of: lacquer masters; Records, kinds of: long-playing (LP); Richard Greeley; Rockabilly music; Salespeople; Stein, Cecil; Warehouses

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musicians; Records.; Songs.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: Um, apparently in 1974, uh, there was--(Hawkes laughs)--a, a special 45rpm recording.

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes talks about his son's interest in snowmobiling, and an experience they had while snowmobiling that led to them writing and recording the song "Snowmobile Sal." He talks about the popularity of the song.

Keywords: 1974; Dirt bikes; Foley; Frank Hawkes (Artist); Hawkes, Frank (Artist); Motorcycles; Records, kinds of: long-playing (LP); Records, kinds of: stereo; Snowmobile Sal (Song); Snowmobiles; Snowmobiling; Songwriting; Sons; Sound effects; Sounds

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Lyric writing (Popular music); Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Popular music--Writing and publishing.; Radio stations.; Records.; Songs.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: Around that--around the, uh, the time that the Event Records, uh, dissolved the partnership, uh, somebody decided to, uh, build a sign--(Hawkes laughs)--near your home on Route 302...

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes talks about the enormous billboard he built to advertise his electronics business. He talks about the lights and the moving arms on the man on the billboard. He talks about his decision to close his business.

Keywords: 1962; Ads; Advertisements; Advertising; Awards; Building; Construction; Designs; Electronics businesses; Family businesses; Filing systems; Fuses; Going out of business; Hawkes Plaza; Lightbulbs; Lights; Motion; Retail; Road signs; Route 302; Small businesses; Walking serviceman; Wiring

Subjects: Businesspeople; Electronics.; Small business--Ownership

Partial Transcript: Al, we've talked about ,uh, you know, Al Hawkes the beginning musician...

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes tells the story of how he met his wife Barbara when they were both teenagers, when she offered to help him paint a water tower. He talks about her life and career, and her work (as of the time of the interview) as city clerk. He talks about his daughter and his son.

Keywords: 1952; Barbara Hawkes; City clerks; Computers; Darlene Hawkes; Daughters; Elections; Family businesses; Family man; Frank Hawkes (Artist); Hawkes, Barbara; Hawkes, Darlene; Hawkes, Frank (Artist); Hospice; Married; Meeting; Painting; Politics; Radio antennas; Radio towers; Small businesses; Sons; Teenagers; Water pumps; Westbrook (Me.); Wife; Windmills; Wives; Young people

Subjects: Families.; Radio stations.

Partial Transcript: Well, and still going strong.

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes talks about his personal collection of music industry artifacts, including a banjo head covered in spaghetti sauce.

Keywords: Artifacts; Banjo heads; Banjos; Basements; Breau, Lenny (Artist); Cold spaghetti; Collecting; Event Records; Gatherings; Guitars; Hairstyles; Homes; Lenny Breau (Artist); Memorabilia; Memories; Museums; Record collections

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Records.; Sound recordings.

Partial Transcript: Al, you mentioned these gatherings and, and I know that you have hosted, uh, gatherings of musicians here at your home for at least thirty years.

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes talks about how a small gathering of musicians to celebrate his wedding anniversary led to a thirty year festival with hundreds of people.

Keywords: Anniversaries; Anniversary; Family; Gatherings; Get-togethers; Invitations; Jam sessions; Tents

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Families.; Music festivals.; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: --talking to the illustrious Al Hawkes, a man who wears many hats...

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes talks about his collection of cowboy hats and shows off two of them. He tells the story of how one of his hats got crushed. He talks about the most recent IBMA convention and his experiences jamming with various street musicians.

Keywords: Collections; Conventions; Country-western style; Cowboy hats; Hats; International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA); Jam sessions; Jamming; Mittens; Nashville (Tenn.); Stetson hats; Street musicians; Tuning

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: Al, over the past, well, more than half a century, you have, uh, won more musical awards than you actually have space to present and display...

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes talks about some of the awards he has been given. He talks about some of the competitions he has participated in. He talks about being on the front page of a newspaper.

Keywords: Awards; Competitions; Country Music Association (CMA); Country Music Associations of America; Down East Country Music Association of Maine; Galax (Va.); Governor of Maine; Guitar players; Guitars; International; Judges; Maine State Museum; Mandolin players; Mandolins; Newspapers; Photographs; Regional; Roger Sprung (Artist); Sprung, Roger (Artist); Winning; Wooly mammoth

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: Now Al, I wonder if you could, uh, recollect back a little bit and try to grab a couple of stories that you feel may be some of the lighter and funnier moments...

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes tells several humorous stories from his time touring with Bob and Grace French and Smokey Green, including wearing a gorilla costume. He talks about another of his hats, with many feathers in it given to him by children.

Keywords: "Crazy Al Hawkes"; Bob French (Artist); Bob and Grace French (Artist); Careers; Changing clothes; Children; Clothes; Clothing; Comedians; Comics; Crocodiles; Feathers; French, Bob (Artist); French, Grace (Artist); Funny; Gorilla costumes; Grace French (Artist); Greene, Smokey (Artist); Hats; Humorous; Jokes; Kids; Mandolin players; Mandolins; Outfits; Pranks; Smokey Greene (Artist); Stage dress; Uniforms; Upset

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: Al, we've talked about your hats.

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes talks about some of the instruments in his collection and the stories behind them. He talks about some of his health issues.

Keywords: Banjos; Blocked arteries; Blocked artery; Breau, Lenny (Artist); Death; Fathers; Favorite instruments; Favorites; Gibson A4 mandolins; Gibson guitars; Guitars; Health; Heart stints; Injuries; Injury; Lenny Breau (Artist); Martin guitars; Recordings; Young

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: You know, you have done more than anybody I know, locally, Al, uh, to preserve, um, the music, uh, the memories...

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes talks about his interest in archiving and preserving records of musical history. He talks about his views on young musicians and their place in the music industry. He offers advice to young people, especially about appearance and experimentation.

Keywords: Active; Advice; Age; Appearance; Archives; Archiving; Audiences; Best dressed; Bush, Sam (Artist); Capturing the past for the future; Changes; Clothes; Experimentation; Hillbilly Gypsies (Artist); History; Importance; Impressions; Jam sessions; Jamming; Memories; Modern music; New wave; Older people; On stage; Past; Preservation; Records; Sam Bush (Artist); Traditional music; Young people

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Records.; Songs.; Sound recordings.; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: Well, you've been going for it for many years.

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes talks about his plans for the future, including preserving more music history, recording albums, and working with young people in the Maine school system.

Keywords: 13; Albums; American Routes Project; Bluegrass Music Association of Maine; Careers; Facilities; Future; Gospel music; Happy; History; Hospitals; Learning to play; Maine; Organizations; Patients; Pioneers of Bluegrass Music in Maine; Public radio; School systems; Songwriting; Southern Bluegrass Jam; Teaching

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Radio programs.; Records.; Songs.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: Well, I have, uh, another question, uh, in that regards.

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes talks about some of his career accomplishments. He talks about he and his wife Barbara surviving several car accidents. He talks about some of the people he has met throughout his career, and how meeting street musicians has affected him. He talks about some of his goals for the future.

Keywords: Accidents; Alaska; Barbara Hawkes; Breau, Lenny (Artist); Drew Smith (Artist); Future; Goals; Hawkes, Barbara; Injuries; International Bluegrass Music Museum (IBMM); Jam sessions; Jamming; Legs; Lenny Breau (Artist); Meeting; Regrets; Smith, Drew (Artist); South; Street musicians; Surviving

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Records.; Songs.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: This is a pause because the, the next question is, um--[tape cut]

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes talks about his birth. He describes his parents, his father's career, and their life in the Northeast.

Keywords: Amos Hawkes; Christmas Day; Date of birth; Family history; Farms; Fathers; Grandfathers; Hawkes, Amos; Hawkes, Leonora; Leonora Hawkes; Mothers; Parents; Quakers; Teachers

Subjects: Families.; Genealogy; Maine; Pawtucket (R.I.); Rhode Island

Partial Transcript: And while you were developing musically, did you ever have any teachers?

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes talks about a man who taught him piano as a child.

Keywords: Influences; Learning to play; Musical influences; Piano players; Pianos; Training

Subjects: Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical ability.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: Al, earlier we talked about, um, your playing music when you were in the service.

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes talks more about playing music during his time in the military, including the various bands he played with. He tells a story about how he and the band and their pilots played pranks on one another.

Keywords: Air Force; Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS); C4 airplanes; Concerts; DJs; Deejays; Disc jockeys; Don Fields; Flight Design C4; Gigs; Jokes; Military bases; Military life; Military service; Military troops; Pranks; Radio studios; Scared; Scares; Shows; Smoke; Trios

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Korean War, 1950-1953; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Radio programs.; Radio stations.

Partial Transcript: Al, earlier we made reference to your vast collections and, and all of this wealth of material that you've collected and archived, especially your photos and your records.

Segment Synopsis: Hawkes talks more about his collection of music industry artifacts. He talks about how he snuck transcriptions of radio programs back to America during his time in the military in Tripoli, Libya. He talks about the music he wrote for the advertisements for his electronics business. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Ads; Advertisements; Advertising; Africa; Archives; Archiving; Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS); Boogie; Closing themes; Collections; DJs; Deejays; Disc jockeys; Folk music; Hawkes Plaza; Military life; Promotional materials; Radio studios; Radio transcriptions; Radio transcripts; Recording studios; Reels; Saving; Songbooks; Tripoli

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Radio programs.; Radio stations.; Records.; Songs.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing