Erskine Hawkins

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Erskine Ramsay Hawkins (born July 26, 1914 in Birmingham, died November 11, 1993 in Willingboro, New Jersey) was a trumpet player and big band leader, dubbed "The 20th Century Gabriel". He is most remembered as the composer of the jazz standard, "Tuxedo Junction" (1939), which became a popular hit during World War II.

Hawkins' mother was a cafeteria worker at Ramsay High School and gave her son the name of the school's benefactor.

In 1978 Erskine Hawkins became one of the first five artists inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Hawkins was an exact contemporary of another Birmingham jazz great, Sun Ra.

Since 1985, a tribute concert in honor of Hawkins' birthday has been held in Ensley's Erskine Hawkins Park. The Function in the Junction featured Hawkins every year until his death. The festival continues on the 4th Saturday of every July.

References

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