BIOGRAPHY
The soulful sounds of Leroy Hawkes are bound to make you move your feet. “I’ve lived with the blues and soul music my whole life, and it’s a gift to be able to bring joy and good times to so many people”, Leroy Hawkes, Soul Ambassador of R&B.
Experience Leroy and the band at your next big party, or featured at one of the fine clubs in and around Delaware.
It all started with Leroy singing gospel music at a little church outside of Richmond Virginia. Coming from a rich music family, Leroy was always singing. He later moved to Philadelphia to live with older brother Billy Hawks.
In Philly he developed his vocal styling after the great Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Joe Tex and Wilson Pickett. Then Leroy immersed himself in the soulful “Philly Sound” and was influenced by Harold Melvin’s drummer, turned singer, Teddy Pendergrast. Each singer’s influence added an ingredient to Mr. Hawkes’ tasty soulful stew.
Leroy recorded as a teenager and later performed as a guest with the Temptations and the O’Jays. He developed his own sound and formed the Hipnotics, later sharing the stage at concerts and festivals with the likes of John Lee Hooker, Robert Cray, Walter “Wolfman” Washington and Johnny Copeland.
Whether on stage jamin’ with friends or doing a knock-out show at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Plaza in New York, Leroy Hawkes delivers a dynamite show! You can call it the Memphis sound with a little New Orleans for spice and a little Philly for soul, but whatever it is, Leroy Hawkes and his band will have you dancing on the ceiling!