Posted by Pete Smith on March 8, 2008, 1:13 pm
86.144.135.205
Last Wednesday (5 March), as every country fan will know, was the forty-fifth anniversary of the death of Patsy Cline. Every year since that fateful day the world’s country media have reminded us of that tragic air crash but rarely give more than a name check to the two other country greats who died with her, Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins. Copas (born Lloyd Estel Copas on 15 July 1913) was a honky tonk singer from Adams County, Ohio who enjoyed much success during the forties and fifties, After playing fiddle in a number of bands, including Pee Wee King’s Golden West Cowboys, Cope signed with King Records in 1945 and achieved immediate top five success with “Filipino Baby”. Two years later “Signed, Sealed and Delivered” made number two, “Tennessee Waltz” number three and “Tennessee Moon” number seven. And the hits kept on coming with “Breeze”, “I’m Waltzing With Tears In My Eyes”, “Candy Kisses”, “Hangman’s Boogie”, “The Strange Little girl” and “Tis Sweet To Be Remembered”. There were no more hits for eight years, even a brief period with Dot did not help, but in 1960, armed with a Starday contract, Cope hit back with his career’s biggest hit “Alabama”. “Flat Top” and a remake of “Signed, Sealed And Delivered” were also hits but eighteen months later Cowboy Copas had joined those stars in the southern sky. Standing at six feet and six inches tall with a deep baritone voice Hawkshaw Hawkins (born Harold F. Hawkins on 22 December 1921) from Huntington, West Virginia was certainly an impressive performer. The Hawks warmth and sincerity made him an immensely popular singer though major record success eluded him. Hawkins was widely heard on radio. After his discharge from the Army Hawkshaw signed with King Records and had minor success with “The Sunny Side Of The Mountain”, which became his signature tune. Hawk’s first top ten was “Pan American” (1948) followed by more top tenners; “Dog House Boogie”, “I Love You A Thousand Ways” and “I’m Waiting Just For You” (all 1951). In 1953 Hawkins signed with RCA but no hits were produced. In1959 he signed with Columbia, scoring a hit with “Soldier’s Joy” and the following year he married country star Jean Shepard. After a period raising horses on their farm just outside of Nashville, Hawkshaw returned to the King label to record “Lonesome 7-7202”, his first and only number one but sadly the Hawk did not live to see his song hit the top.
For many years I have been reminding us there are stars in the southern sky and Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins sure do shine brightly.
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