I Put A Spell On You
Before Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson, there was Jay Hawkins. A soulful man with a complicated past, Hawkins’ talent became lost behind the wild persona that he adopted. A born performer, Hawkins embellished everything, including his own life story. However, wading through the outrageous and the impossible to find what is true reveals a story that is every bit as weird, twisting, and downright shocking as the lies Hawkins enjoyed telling.
1. He Was A Myth
Who was Screamin’ Jay Hawkins? To answer that question, you have to dig past the endless facade of lies that he created during his lifetime. They say that you can become whomever you want to be, and Hawkins took that advice quite literally. Distinguishing truth from fabrication, particularly in his early life, is near impossible. But one thing is clear: when Hawkins entered this world, no one seemed to want him.
2. His Family Was Messy
Here is the story that Hawkins liked to tell of his childhood. He was one of eight children…or maybe four, six, or seven. The number changed nearly every time that Hawkins told the story. Unable to support him, his mother gave him away. However, the story has a happy ending. Hawkins found refuge with the unlikeliest group of people.
Frans Schellekens, Getty Images
3. He Landed On His Feet
According to Hawkins, a group of “wealthy Blackfoot Native Americans” took him in, and that was where he spent his childhood, raised to be a musical prodigy. Not only did Hawkins teach himself to play music as a toddler, but he read music fluently by six, mastered the sax at 14, and studied opera at the Ohio Conservatory of Music. Hawkins lived a charmed life—if only that story were true.
Jean-Luc Ourlin, Wikimedia Commons
4. His Family Really Was Messy
Tragically, the saddest part of Hawkins' story remains the one true portion. His birth mother, Marie Hawkins, struggled financially upon his birth, placing him with welfare shortly after. Hawkins had siblings. However, he had three, not eight (or any other number he said). As for his adoptive family, there might have been some embellishment there, too.
5. He Found A Home
Hawkins entered foster care. Edith Randolph cared for Hawkins while his birth mother remained in his life. At best, Hawkins' eldest, legitimate daughter (we’ll get to that later), Sookie, recalls that Randolf may have been Native American. Maybe. As for the matter of Hawkin’s status as a musical prodigy… Well, let’s just see about that, shall we?
6. He Wasn’t A Prodigy
Fans of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins will tell you about his undeniable musical talent. His talent is there in the music, and he certainly had a passion for it. However, prodigy was a stretch. Hawkins appreciated all music, from classical and opera to blues and jazz. He may have even intended to study opera; however, a global conflict got in the way before that could happen.
7. He Lied To Enlist
Born in 1929, Hawkins reached his teen years as WWII raged on. What boy doesn’t dream of glory? As Hawkins tells it, he didn’t let something as pesky as age stop him from proving what kind of man he was. Hawkins claims that he lied about his age, joining up at 14—and he loved every single minute of it.
8. He Relished Violence (Maybe)
Most men don’t come out of conflict without scars, physical and mental. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, however, was not most men. According to him, he loved battle, even the most gruesome parts. At one point, he told a filmmaker, “It was beautiful to me to be able to take a life knowing I don't have to go to jail”. If that wasn’t enough, hold tight, we haven’t even gotten to the best part yet.
9. He Saved The Day (Possibly)
Few places haunt men the way that Japanese POW camps did. A captive within one of these camps came back a shadow of themselves, sunk and broken. Hawkins, however, took the opportunity to show his strength. Not only did Hawkins supposedly spend eight months in a camp, but he became “Rambo”, taking violent revenge on his captors on the way out. It would be a great story if it were true.
10. He Really Did Lie About His Age
The one thing you can say about Hawkins is that he never made up anything from scratch. He embellished simple actions he’d done, making them greater than reality. Hawkins did lie about his age to enlist. However, he was 16, not 14. Moreover, there is no way that Hawkins could have done a single thing that he said he did, even if he had enlisted.
11. He Never Saw Conflict
Jalacy J Hawkins (his birth name) enlisted in December 1945. WWII ended in September that year. Hawkins served as part of the Army-Air Forces’ Special Service Division. He didn’t fight, enjoy ending lives, or avenge any wrongs. He did what he did best: he played music. Hawkins also did one other thing during this time… possibly.
12. He Was A Boxing Champ (Wasn’t He?)
Aside from singing, Hawkins had one other passion: boxing. According to Case Western Reserve University, Hawkins began boxing during his time in service. As Hawkins served from the end of 1945 to 1952, it is entirely possible this happened. However, the matter of Hawkins' success is another thing entirely.
13. His History Is Unproven
Another popular Hawkins story is his time as a champion boxer. The 1984 book, Nowhere to Run: The Story of Soul Music, claims Hawkins won the Golden Glove middleweight championships in 1947. However, no one can find any evidence of a Jalacy J Hawkins winning a boxing championship anywhere. With all these lies, did anyone know the real Jay Hawkins?
14 He Believed His Own Stories
It’s entirely possible that Hawkins became so committed to the charade of his life that he began believing his own stories. As noted by Hawkins’ biographer, Steve Bergsman, “It didn't make any difference how close you were to Jay. You got the same bullsh*t as everyone else”. At what point did you forget where reality ended and fantasy began? Hawkins’ BS faded in only one area: music.
15. He Found A Band
Through all the embellishments, music remained Hawkins' true passion. Hawkins began playing music in Cleveland around 1951, and by 1952, he found himself a stable gig: playing piano and doing vocals for the Rocking Highlanders, Tiny Grimes’ band. A huge break for the young musician, it seemed as if Hawkins finally had a reason to tell the truth…or did he?
16. He Refused To Conform
Hawkins’ intentions had always been to break the mold. He reportedly told his music teacher, “… to leave before I make your life miserable”, knowing that he had no plans to stick to conventions. Whether the music teacher tale is true or not, Hawkins certainly broke the mold, developing his unique sound—and the crowds loved it.
17. He Drove The Crowds Wild
Despite drawing early inspiration from classical and opera, Hawkins refused to conform. He sang his way, loud and screaming. Crowds went wild for his over-the-top approach, leading one fan to yell “Scream, baby, scream”, which led to the origin of his name. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins was born that night; however, not everyone liked him.
18. He Couldn’t Keep His Cool
The crowds may have loved Hawkins’ screaming. However, other professionals in the music world didn’t know what to do with him. Making matters worse, Hawkins didn’t take criticism well. Hawkins’ temper came out during a recording session with Tiny Grimes, leading to disastrous effects. Only Screamin’ Jay Hawkins could ruin a long relationship in a single moment.
19. He Needed To Tone It Down
Music producer Ahmet Ertegun got more than he bargained for when he suggested Hawkins tone the vocals down, just a little bit. Perhaps Hawkins had a point, as the song was called “Screamin’ Blues”. However, instead of calmly disagreeing when Ertegun suggested Hawkins tried to sing more like “Fats Domino”, Hawkins lost his cool entirely. Then Ertegun made one last mistake.
Celluloid Dreams, I Put a Spell on Me (2001)
20. His Temper Ruined Everything
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that no one responds well to being told to “calm down”. When Ertegun told Hawkins to calm down, Hawkins told Ertegun to “Go to hell!” and, according to some, took a swing at the producer. Not only did “Screaming Blues” never record, but Hawkins left the Rocking Highlanders not long after. Ironically, Hawkins ended up with the very person who started the entire fiasco.
Celluloid Dreams, I Put a Spell on Me (2001)
21. He Didn’t Learn His Lesson
Hawkins really should have already learned that he did not work well with others. However, he still needed to earn a living, so he ended up with none other than Fats Domino. Unfortunately, Hawkins had more lessons he should have learned already. If he didn’t like being told to sing like Fats Domino, why did Hawkins think that he could sing with Fats Domino?
Celluloid Dreams, I Put a Spell on Me (2001)
22. He Couldn’t Work With Others
Hawkins and Fats Domino were like oil and water. Fats Domino approached music with a laid-back attitude, while Hawkins did everything loud, brash, and shouting. It must have been obvious from the start that the pair couldn’t work together. However, in the end, it wasn’t Hawkins’s attitude or temper that ruined the partnership. It was his clothes.
Celluloid Dreams, I Put a Spell on Me (2001)
23. His Clothes Got Him Fired
Hawkins dressed like he acted: loud and colorful. The story goes that Hawkins appeared for a performance in a leopard-skin suit, and at that point, Fats Domino fired him. However, Hawkins somehow hadn’t sunk his career just yet. He’d already paved the way for a solo career with an earlier recording, and in 1955, OKeh Records allowed him to change the field of music forever.
Celluloid Dreams, I Put a Spell on Me (2001)
24. His #1 Was Lost
You don’t have to be a fan of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins to know his most famous song. Nearly everyone has heard at least one cover of “I Put a Spell on You” at some point in their lives. Hawkins first recorded the song with Okeh Records in 1955, producing it as a straightforward ballad about heartbreak—and nobody heard it.
Celluloid Dreams, I Put a Spell on Me (2001)
25. He Agreed To Rerecord
“I Put a Spell on You” flopped. Barely anyone heard it. Hawkins might have given up right then and there if it hadn’t been for Columbia Records. Hawkins rerecorded the song two years later with Columbia Records, finally launching his name. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Screamin’ Jay legend if there weren’t at least two versions of the story.
Celluloid Dreams, I Put a Spell on Me (2001)
26. He Started Telling Stories Again
As with any good story within Screamin’ Jay Hawkins' life, you’re never too sure what the actual truth is. “I Put a Spell on You” is no different from the rest. There are at least two origin stories for this song, and your guess is as good as ours as to which is true. We know which one is more fun, though.
Celluloid Dreams, I Put a Spell on Me (2001)
27. He Screamed His Heartbreak
The first story is a fairly standard rock-and-roll tragedy. In this version, heartbreak inspired Hawkins to develop the raw, tribal sound. Upon returning home from a show, Hawkins found that his girlfriend had up and left him. Distraught, Hawkins broke out into a raw scream, then wrote the entire song. Story number two involves a few more people and a lot of drinks.
Celluloid Dreams, I Put a Spell on Me (2001)
28. He Listened To the Execs
If raw heartbreak isn’t your style, you can try Hawkins’ second story on for size. In the second version of the tale, the song originated at the urging of Columbia exec Arnold Matson, who suggested Hawkins try “something different” with the song. Matson had an interesting approach to encouraging his artists.
Celluloid Dreams, I Put a Spell on Me (2001)
29. He Recorded While Hammered
Matson bought the band a bunch of booze and left them in a room together to create, drunk off their arses. Hawkins finishes the story with “Ten days later, the record came out. [...] I heard all those drunken screams, groans, and yells. I thought, 'Oh, my God!” Whatever version you believe, one thing even Hawkins can’t make up: the song put a spell on everyone.
Celluloid Dreams, I Put a Spell on Me (2001)
30. He Created Something Haunting
That original breakout version of “I Put a Spell on You” is haunting. Filled with screams and grunts, it sent chills down the spine. It also became a cult favorite with the help of DJ Alan Freed. Teens everywhere flocked to the song, sensing something unhinged, even dangerous about it. Which was exactly what repelled mainstream audiences.
Celluloid Dreams, I Put a Spell on Me (2001)
31. He Lured In People With Debauchery
People accused “I Put a Spell on You” of being about anything and everything debauched, including cannibalism and not taking “no” for an answer, if you know what I mean. As a result, many mainstream radio stations refused to play the song. Thankfully, Hawkins didn’t need them. Freed continued to put Hawkins front and center, turning him into the horror show he became.
32. He Let Someone Build His Image
Hawkins likely would have been nothing without Alan Freed. Not only did Freed give his song airtime, but Freed also invited Hawkins on his “Rock ‘n’ Roll Revue,” where things only got weirder. Fans connected with the eerie, haunting aspects of “I Put a Spell on You”. Therefore, Freed encouraged Hawkins to “embrace the weird”—to a variety of wacky results.
Photo by James Kriegsmann, NY, Wikimedia Commons
33. He Embraced The Bizarre
The screaming, laughing, and grunting that can be heard on the “I Put a Spell on You” recording created a “witch doctor” persona for Hawkins. He dressed in a black cape, sung with “wild eyes”, and incorporated props like skeletons, rubber snakes, and pyrotechnics. The crowd ate it up. Even his props had their own fanbase.
Screamin' Jay Hawkins Interview '80's, jan van leeuwen
34. He Named His Props
Among the wild antics and spooky props was a skull. A cigarette-smoking skull carried around upon a stick, to be specific. The cult-like fandom that surrounded Hawkins eventually extended to his skull companion, too. Known as “Harry,” the skull was as much an attraction as Hawkins. However, all of this almost never happened at all.
Screamin' J Hawkins - interviewed on Poker Party, Art Fein's Poker Party
35. He Refused To Play Along
From the very beginning, Freed continuously pushed Hawkins into adding more and more layers to his act. This culminated in Freed’s coup de grâce: having Hawkins enter the stage by rising out of a coffin. It was the perfect way to capture the bizarre horror of the Hawkins show. Only, there was one problem: Hawkins didn’t want to do it.
The SHOCKING Truth About Screamin' Jay Hawkins Verified 57 CHILDREN, Trap Pulse
36. He Accepted Bribes
Initially, Hawkins refused, claiming, “Not me. No black dude gets in no coffin alive. They don’t expect to get out!” However, Freed believed in the act so much that he was willing to put his money where his mouth was. Freed offered Hawkins $2,000 on top of his fee to climb out of the coffin. Hawkins agreed. However, it almost cost him much more than $2,000 in the end.
The SHOCKING Truth About Screamin' Jay Hawkins Verified 57 CHILDREN, Trap Pulse
37. His Music Was Controversial
The kids dug what Hawkins put down. Everyone else hated it. Hawkins’ shows became infamous for the rage that they induced. Mothers feared their children becoming “corrupted” by these wild pagan acts. However, the rage ran far deeper than just frightened mothers. Hawkins offended so many people, the list is just like him: ridiculous.
The SHOCKING Truth About Screamin' Jay Hawkins Verified 57 CHILDREN, Trap Pulse
38. He Created Negative Stereotypes
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) also expressed concerns over Hawkins' choices. They feared that Hawkins's witch doctor caricature would encourage the general population to return to viewing all Black people that way. A valid concern. However, Hawkins had at least one other enemy, and it was the last group you would’ve expected.
The SHOCKING Truth About Screamin' Jay Hawkins Verified 57 CHILDREN, Trap Pulse
39. His Music Enraged The Coffin Makers
The National Coffin Association also had a problem with Hawkins’ act. They felt that it showed a general disrespect for the recently departed. Not only did they protest it, but they wrote to morticians encouraging them not to give Hawkins coffins for the performance. In the end, all the animosity was for nothing. Like a bright fire, Hawkins’ fame eventually burned out.
The SHOCKING Truth About Screamin' Jay Hawkins Verified 57 CHILDREN, Trap Pulse
40. His Performance Gave Him Chills
Despite the fame, Hawkins never took to his performances, claiming that the entire thing “gave him chills”. He also claimed to need substances to get through the performance. This bad habit, combined with an already fragile mental state and the pressures of staying “relevant,” led to Hawkins' ultimate downfall. Hawkins felt the world “wasn’t ready for” him, but maybe he wasn’t ready for the world.
The SHOCKING Truth About Screamin' Jay Hawkins Verified 57 CHILDREN, Trap Pulse
41. He Couldn’t Repeat The Magic
Hawkins struggled to get another hit. None of his other songs had the same appeal as “I Put a Spell on You”. To make matters worse, other artists were covering Hawkins' work and getting more recognition for it. It wore on Hawkins until he felt that there was nothing left for him to do but run.
Stéphane Marion, Wikimedia Commons
42. He Escaped While Others Succeeded
Hawkins spent the 60s in Honolulu, hiding from the world while others profited off his work. He told a journalist, “In the meantime, all these people are recording my goddamn stuff. [...] I get the impression that everybody's going places with what I was doing fifteen goddamn years ago. Everybody but me...” To make matters worse, Hawkins didn’t see a cent of his royalties.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
43. He Couldn’t Get His Royalties
“I Put a Spell on You” continued to make money, but Hawkins never received any of it. He told a filmmaker that when he asked for his royalty money, he was told, “Black people don't get royalty money. They just take what's given to them without asking”. Racism surely played a heavy role in Hawkins' journey. However, Hawkins' paranoia continued to mislead him.
44. He Became Paranoid
On top of the prejudice that Hawkins surely faced within the music industry, he also became convinced that the mob controlled the industry. Hawkins claimed that someone told him to “disappear or be killed”. Whether true or not, Hawkins chose to disappear. He dropped off the map. No one knew where he was—but someone was looking for him.
45. He Hit Rock Bottom
Jim Jarmusch, an American filmmaker, brought Hawkins back in the spotlight. A longtime Screamin’ Jay Hawkins fan, he made “I Put a Spell on You” an integral part of his 1984 film Stranger Than Paradise. When Jarmusch learned Hawkins had no rights to the song, Jarmusch did what so many before him hadn't: he set out to right that wrong.
Harald Krichel, Wikimedia Commons
46. He Needed A Little Help
Jarmusch wouldn’t let that slide. He wanted to ensure that Hawkins got properly compensated for his use of his song. Therefore, he took it upon himself to find Hawkins and provide that compensation. It was something Hawkins desperately needed, given where Jarmusch found him.
Colleen Sturtevant, Wikimedia Commons
47. He Got Another Opportunity
Jarmusch claims to have found Hawkins living out of a trailer in New Jersey. He didn’t have a phone. On top of compensating Hawkins for the use of his song in Stranger Than Paradise, Jarmusch cast Hawkins in his 1989 film Mystery Train. However, by this point, the damage had already been done.
Orion Classics, Mystery Train (1989)
48. He Couldn’t Keep It In His Pants
Hawkins’ star had already faded. He moved to France, where he spent the rest of his life—though not alone. Hawkins was a lover, though not a reliable one. He married six times, carrying on with twice as many women outside of matrimony. Hawkins had such an effect on women that one even took a stab at him—literally.
49. He Left An Unusual Legacy
One of Hawkins’ partners, Shoutin’ Pat Newborn, reportedly literally took a stab at him when he left her for another woman. Hawkins struggled to create a reliable legacy with his music. However, through these women he left quite the mark on the world. At the time of his passing in 2000, the number of children that Hawkins believed to have was, well… unbelievable.
Charlie Gillett Collection, Getty Images
50. He Paved The Way Forward
Aside from his three legitimate children from his first wife, Hawkins claimed to have 57 or 75 biological children out in the world. After he passed, his friend and biographer, Maral Nigolian, created a website to find these children. To date, Nigolian has verified at least 33 biological children of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. One way or another, the world remembers Screamin’ Jay.
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