Len Hawkes | |
---|---|
Born | Leonard Donald Stanley Hawkes 2 November 1945 |
Other names | Chip Hawkes |
Spouse | Carol Dilworth (m. 1969) |
Children | 3, including Chesney |
Musical career | |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instruments |
|
Years active | 1960s–present |
Member of | The Tremeloes |
Formerly of | The Horizons, Class of '64 |
Leonard Donald Stanley "Chip" Hawkes (born 2 November 1945) is an English musician. He is best known for being a member of the Tremeloes and for being the father of Chesney Hawkes.
Leonard Donald Stanley Hawkes [1] was born on 2 November 1945. [2] When he left school, he became a carpenter's apprentice, alongside which he would play local gigs; his nickname, Chip, was a consequence of him sometimes turning up to gigs still covered in wood shavings. [3]
He formed a band called The Horizons, that featured Rod Evans as their lead vocalist. Evans would go on to form and front the band Deep Purple in 1968. The Horizons toured Hamburg, Germany during the early to mid 1960s. [4]
In 1966, he joined The Tremeloes, previously Brian Poole and The Tremeloes before Brian Poole's and bassist Alan Howard's departure earlier that year, first as bassist, and then also as co-lead vocalist; [5] while he was a member, the band entered the UK Singles Chart with "Here Comes My Baby" (No. 4), "Silence Is Golden" (No. 1), "Even the Bad Times are Good" (No. 4), "Be Mine" (No. 39), "Suddenly You Love Me" (No. 6), "Helule Helule" (No. 14), "My Little Lady" (No. 6), "I Shall Be Released" (No. 29), "Hello World" (No. 14), "(Call Me) Number One" (No. 2), "By the Way" (No. 35), "Me and My Life" (No. 4), and "Hello Buddy" (No. 32). [6]
Hawkes left the band in 1974 after being injured in a car crash, [7] before moving to Nashville, Tennessee, and releasing The Nashville Life in 1977, which flopped. [5] He returned to England in 1979, reformed The Tremeloes, [4] and entered the UK Singles Chart with "Words" (No. 90); [6] he left in 1988 to manage Chesney's career. [8] In 1992, he began touring as a solo artist. [4]
In April 2004, at the request of the Animals, who were about to undertake their 40th anniversary tour, Hawkes was asked to form a band to tour with the Animals. Hawkes would then form a supergroup including Mick Avory (The Kinks), Eric Haydock (The Hollies), who teamed up to perform as the Class of '64, also featuring guitarists, Telecaster Ted Tomlin and Graham Pollock. [9] The band toured around the world and recorded an album of past band hits and a new single called "She's Not My Child". [10]
In 2006, he, Brian Poole, and The Tremeloes reunited for the band's 40th anniversary tour. [11] In 2017, Chip and Chesney undertook a joint tour. [12]
While promoting "Hello World" on The Golden Shot on 9 March 1969, [13] he met the show's co-host Carol Dilworth, and married her later that year. Their relationship started poorly; Hawkes made an inane remark about Dilworth's mini-skirt, to which she responded by lecturing him on how popstars thought they could sleep with any women they wanted, and only agreed to a date several months later, following repeated phone calls to her from around the world, during the Tremeloes' hectic touring schedule. [14]
The pair have had three children, who are all in the music business:
In December 2015, it was reported that Hawkes and Tremeloes associate Richard Westwood would stand trial for the April 1968 indecent assault of a fifteen-year-old girl [18] at a hotel in Chester. [19] The trial caused Hawkes to have to cancel a tour of Australia with Brian Poole, and caused Chesney to be taunted at his concerts. [20] In July 2016, it was reported that both parties had been acquitted after their accuser failed to enter evidence. [21] In December 2015, while leaving Chester Crown Court, both he and Richard Westwood were assaulted by an intoxicated photographer, who had to be restrained by their barrister. [20]
In 2012, Hawkes was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer, [22] which caused him to shrink six inches after six vertebrae collapsed and require the use of a wheelchair, [20] and for which he underwent a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation at the Royal Marsden Hospital, [22] which caused his hair to fall out. [23] His cancer relapsed during his assault trial, during which time he also suffered from depression. In November 2021, Chesney announced that due to Chip struggling with his health, he would be deputising for him during the Tremeloes' nationwide tour. [24]
The Tremeloes
(See The Tremeloes discography)
Solo
Transister was a British-American alternative rock band formed in late 1995 in Los Angeles. Despite only having released one album to moderate sales, their work has been featured on a number of film soundtracks. The band was fronted by Keely Hawkes, the sister of English musician Chesney Hawkes and daughter of Len 'Chip' Hawkes, member of English beat group the Tremeloes.
Samuel Timothy McGraw is an American country singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has released 16 studio albums. 10 of those albums have reached number one on the Top Country Albums charts, with his 1994 breakthrough album Not a Moment Too Soon being the top country album of 1994. In total, McGraw's albums have produced 65 singles, 25 of which have reached number one on the Hot Country Songs or Country Airplay charts. Three of these singles – "It's Your Love", "Just to See You Smile", and "Live Like You Were Dying" – were respectively the top country songs of 1997, 1998, and 2004 according to Billboard Year-End. He has also won three Grammy Awards, 14 Academy of Country Music awards, 11 Country Music Association (CMA) awards, 10 American Music Awards, and three People's Choice Awards. His Soul2Soul II Tour, which was done in partnership with his wife, Faith Hill, is one of the highest-grossing tours in country music history, and one of the top five among all genres of music. He has sold more than 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
Kenneth Arnold Chesney is an American country singer. He has recorded more than 20 albums that include more than 40 Top 10 singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts, 32 of which have reached number one. Many of these also have charted within the Top 40 of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, making him one of the most successful crossover country artists. He has sold over 30 million albums worldwide.
Michelle Lena "Shelly" Poole is an English songwriter and singer.
Alisha's Attic were an English pop duo of the 1990s and early 2000s. The two members were sisters Shelly and Karen Poole, born in Barking and Chadwell Heath respectively. Their father is Brian Poole of 1960s group Brian Poole and the Tremeloes.
The Tremeloes are an English beat group founded in 1958 in Dagenham, England. They initially found success in the British Invasion era with lead singer Brian Poole, scoring a UK chart-topper in 1963 with "Do You Love Me".
Chesney Lee Hawkes is an English singer and occasional actor. He started his career at the age of 19 when he appeared in the film Buddy's Song, which featured his best-known single "The One and Only", which topped the UK Singles Chart for five weeks and reached the top 10 in the United States. Follow-up single "I'm a Man Not a Boy" peaked at 27 in the UK, with subsequent singles including "What's Wrong with This Picture?", "Stay Away Baby Jane" and "Another Fine Mess" also charting in the top 100.
Brian Poole is a singer and performer who was the lead singer of 1960s beat band the Tremeloes (1957–62) and then Brian Poole and the Tremeloes (1962–66).
"Do You Love Me" is a rhythm and blues song recorded by the Contours in 1962. Written and produced by Motown Records owner Berry Gordy Jr., it appeared twice on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, reaching numbers three in 1962 and eleven in 1988.
Dilworth School, often referred to simply as Dilworth, is an independent full boarding school for boys in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest full boarding school in both the country and Australasia. Owned and operated by a charitable trust, boys selected to attend do so on scholarships covering education and boarding costs.
"Silence Is Golden" is a song initially recorded by the American rock band the Four Seasons. Written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio, Philips Records released it in 1964 as the B-side of the U.S. number 1 single "Rag Doll", which was also written by Crewe and Gaudio. The Tremeloes' 1967 cover version reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and number 11 on the US charts.
The English rock band The Beatles auditioned for Decca Records at Decca Studios in West Hampstead, north London, on 1 January 1962. They were rejected by the label, who instead opted to sign a contract with Brian Poole and the Tremeloes. The audition was recorded, and five of the songs—"Searchin'", "Three Cool Cats", "The Sheik of Araby", "Like Dreamers Do" and "Hello Little Girl"—were officially released on the Beatles rarities compilation Anthology 1 in 1995.
Alan David Blakley was a British musician and record producer. A member of the Tremeloes from 1958 to 1996. He was the father of actress Claudie Blakley. As a producer, he worked on the hit song She's Gonna Win for Bilbo, and nearly all the studio albums for glam rock sensations The Rubettes,
"Candy Man" is a song by Roy Orbison, released as the B-side to his international hit "Crying" in July 1961. It was later covered by British beat group Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, becoming a top-ten hit in the UK.
"Hello World" is a song written by Tony Hazzard. It was recorded and released as a single by the Tremeloes in March 1969 and peaked at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Someone, Someone" is a song by American rock and roll band the Crickets, released in March 1959 as the B-side to "Love's Made a Fool of You". However, the song is better known for the version by British beat group Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, which became a top-ten hit in the UK in 1964.
"Helule Helule" is a Swahili song written by Kenyan musician Daudi Kabaka. It was first released as a single by Kabaka and fellow Kenyan musician George Agade in 1966 through Equator Records. However, the song is better known for the version by British group the Tremeloes, who kept the original chorus and added English verses, with it becoming a top-twenty hit in the UK in May 1968.
"(Call Me) Number One" is a song by British group the Tremeloes, released as a single in October 1969. It peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart.
Richard "Rick" Westwood, also known as Rick West or Ricky West, is a British retired musician, known for being a member of the Tremeloes from 1962 to 2012.
Sixties Gold is a yearly tour based in the UK, that has a revolving lineup of singers and bands from the 1960s decade of music. Many of the acts were a part of the British Invasion phenomenon.