FOUNDING FATHER

Ronnie Hawkins, Key Figure in Canadian Rock and Mentor of The Band, Dies at 87

Hawkins was known for having an eye for talent and putting together the iconic backing band that toured with Bob Dylan.

Ronnie Hawkins, known by some as “the father of Canadian rock ‘n’ roll,” died on Sunday morning. He was 87. Hawkins’ wife, Wanda, confirmed his death after an undisclosed illness. An Arkansas native, Hawkins was known for having an eye for talent and credited with inspiring much of the Canadian rock ‘n’ roll scene. In the 1950s, he went on a Canadian tour and later moved to Canada, recognizing that he could have a greater impact in a country where rock was in its fledgling form. There, Hawkins formed a group of backup musicians that later became known as The Band, who eventually played with Bob Dylan and became iconic in their own right. The Band invited Hawkins, who went on to mentor more Canadian musicians, on stage for their final show in 1976, with the scene featured in Martin Scorsese’s documentary The Last Waltz. When The Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, guitarist Robbie Robertson said: “We should thank Ronnie Hawkins in being so instrumental in us coming together and for teaching us the ‘code of the road,’ so to speak.”