Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ everlasting impact on alternative music

Shock rock is exemplified by acts like Alice Cooper, Marilyn Manson*, Screaming Lord Sutch, and Arthur Brown. Its foremost derivative, horror punk, is populated by bands like Misfits or The Cramps. The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Bauhaus are some of the paradigms of goth. Even though these subgenres have their own subtle nuances, they each share a common thread: an overwhelmingly white scene. While many are dominated by a white presence, alternative subcultures owe their aesthetic and sound in part to one Black musician: Screamin’ Jay Hawkins.  

Born on July 18th, 1929, in Cleveland, Ohio, Jalacy Hawkins was adopted and raised by Blackfoot Native Americans. At the age of 13, he forged a birth certificate in order to enlist in the US Army to fight in World War II. After being honorably discharged, Hawkins became the middleweight boxing champion of Alaska in 1949. His real passion, however, lay in music. Learning classical piano in his childhood and guitar in his 20s, Hawkins tried to get his start as an Opera singer, inspired by Paul Robeson, but failed. With Opera out of the question, Hawkins took up Blues, joining Tiny Grimes in 1951. Eventually, he became a solo artist, where he would find his greatest success.

Selected as #299 in the most recent iteration of Rolling Stone’s “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,”  and included amongst the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s “500 Songs that Shaped Rock And Roll,” Hawkins’ greatest smash hit is undeniably “I Put a Spell on You.” Released in 1956, what was originally supposed to be a sentimental blues ballad transformed into  its larger-than-life form as we know it after a jubilant night of drinking. The bombastic nature and overt display of raw sexuality with this version led to the track being banned from most airwaves. Despite never appearing on either Billboard’s Pop or R&B charts, the song nonetheless garnered cult success. Covered by various artists, such as the aforementioned Marilyn Manson and Arthur Brown, as well as the likes of Nina Simone, Bryan Ferry, Annie Lennox, and Bette Midler, the song has clearly cemented itself within the folds of rock and roll history. 

While performing “I Put a Spell on You,” it was disc jockey Alan Freed who convinced Hawkins to emerge from a coffin (for a reported $300). Freed encouraged Hawkins to capitalize on his sensational way of performing the song. From that point on, Hawkins began to incorporate an increasing number of horrific props, such as a staff with a smoking skull on the end named Henry, rubber snakes, and a pair of tusks he wore. It’s these features that made him one of the first shock artists—the theatrical use of macabre elements elevated him from a normal blues musician to something entirely new. 

While it brought him success, Hawkins eventually grew to resent his “Screamin’” epithet, the persona that came with it, and the novelty that audiences expected from him. Hawkins feared that general audiences refused to respect him as a serious blues singer and a balladeer, stating in 1973 “If it were up to me, I wouldn’t be Screamin’ Jay Hawkins…James Brown did an awful lot of screamin’, but never got called Screamin’ James Brown…Why can’t people take me as a regular singer without making a bogeyman out of me?” 

Photo by Stéphane Marion

When Arthur Brown donned skeleton makeup or Alice Cooper lit up the stage with pyrotechnics, it’s a choice they were able to make. When Jay Hawkins did it, it was out of necessity to stand out amongst other blues musicians in the 1950s. Brown and Cooper had the luxury of incorporating Hawkins’ schtick into their act, ultimately profiting—but only after Hawkins paved the way. What’s more, many of the elements Hawkins’ used within his performance were lifted from voodoo practices and iconography, such as skulls. While it was Hawkins’ continued choice—but then again, what choice does one have when you need to make a living—Freed’s original suggestion was exploitive, using elements of African religion for shock value. Musicians like Brown or Cooper were able to make a career out of shock elements, thanks to the popularity of Hawkins’ act. Brown and Cooper, as well as their musical descendents, built their careers on black cultural aspects. 

While Hawkins didn’t invent horror, he nonetheless played an important part by marrying it to music. Hawkins pioneered the way for less conventional approaches to music and stage production. Even though alternative subcultures, like goth and punk, draw stylistic inspiration from all types of sources, it’s important to recognize the impact Hawkins and “I Put a Spell on You” had as one of music’s first cult icons. So while we might associate Halloween with Cooper, the Cramps, or Bauhaus, consider adding “I Put a Spell on You” to your ultimate Halloween playlist.  

*It’s important to note that I wouldn’t have brought up Manson otherwise, given his controversial history, but his popularity as a shock artist as well as having covered “I Put a Spell on You” felt relevant to the article. I think the fact that Manson being a white artist and still being able to have a career after the things he has been accused of speaks volumes in and of itself.

Article by Jackie Greene

Photos by Memi Beltrame at Flickr Commons, Stéphane Marion at Wikimedia Commons