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🎩 Screamin’ Jay Hawkins: The Voodoo Bluesman Who Set Rock on Fire

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins Early Promo Photo.

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins wasn’t just a singer—he was a spectacle. Exploding onto the scene with bone necklaces, fake skulls, smoke bombs, and capes, Hawkins turned every performance into a haunted ritual. Long before shock rock was a genre, he was staging musical séances with a voice that could rumble the grave. He didn’t just perform songs—he possessed them.

Born Jalacy Hawkins in 1929, he started out as a classically trained pianist and opera baritone, aiming for a career in serious music. But somewhere along the way, the blues took hold, and so did the theatrical madness. In 1956, Hawkins recorded what would become his signature song: I Put a Spell on You. He claimed it was supposed to be a standard ballad until the recording session turned into a drunken frenzy—and what came out was a growling, howling, spell-casting anthem that was immediately banned from radio for its overt sexuality.

That song alone cemented Hawkins in rock history, but it was just the beginning. He performed with a smoking skull named Henry, rose from coffins onstage, and sometimes wore leopard print suits with one red shoe. His act was part horror show, part burlesque, and part blues revival. It paved the way for artists like Alice Cooper, Arthur Brown, and even KISS—though none quite matched the chaotic magic of Screamin’ Jay in full swing.

Though he never matched the chart success of his signature song, Hawkins built a global cult following. From European tours to guest spots in cult films, he kept the weird flame alive until his death in 2000. But his legacy? Still smoldering.

👶 Early Life

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Screamin’ Jay Hawkins was born Jalacy Hawkins on July 18, 1929, in Cleveland, Ohio. Orphaned at a young age, he was raised by a foster family and exposed to a wide range of music early on, from classical to jazz and gospel. As a teenager, he showed exceptional talent as a pianist and vocalist, even dreaming of becoming an opera singer. He later studied classical music and claimed to have learned arias by Caruso and Paul Robeson, preparing for a future far removed from the bizarre stage persona he'd become known for.

Hawkins served in the U.S. Army during World War II, reportedly boxing while stationed overseas and continuing to hone his musical chops in military shows. When he returned home, the musical landscape was shifting—and so was he. Though rooted in serious training, he began gravitating toward rhythm & blues clubs, drawn to the raw power of the scene. The transition from opera hopeful to voodoo showman didn’t happen overnight, but the seeds were there: a powerhouse voice, a dramatic streak, and no fear of breaking the rules.

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🎙️ Music Career

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Screamin’ Jay Hawkins officially entered the recording scene in the early 1950s, cutting blues tracks for small labels like Timely and Okeh. But it wasn’t until 1956 that lightning struck—with the now-legendary recording of I Put a Spell on You. What began as a straight ballad morphed into something wild and unhinged during the session. Fueled by alcohol and spontaneity, Hawkins belted out the track with guttural growls, eerie howls, and theatrical flair. The result was unlike anything radio had heard—and too much for some stations, which promptly banned it for being “too suggestive.”

The ban only fueled the song’s mystique. Although it didn’t chart as high as some hoped, I Put a Spell on You became a cult hit and a defining moment in early rock & roll. It has since been covered by artists ranging from Nina Simone and Creedence Clearwater Revival to Marilyn Manson and Annie Lennox—proof of its lasting influence. The song launched Hawkins into the spotlight, but what really set him apart was how he embraced the role of the wild showman.

Hawkins leaned into the spectacle. His stage act became infamous: rising out of a coffin, surrounded by smoke, wearing a cape and carrying his skull-on-a-stick named Henry. At a time when most performers stood still and crooned, Hawkins was summoning spirits, howling into the mic, and redefining what it meant to perform a song. His voice—booming, gritty, and unpredictable—was matched only by his presence. No one in the '50s was doing what Screamin’ Jay was doing, and it rattled both audiences and critics.

He released dozens of singles over the years, including Constipation Blues, Alligator Wine, Feast of the Mau Mau, and Little Demon. While none reached the iconic status of Spell, they built a catalog full of weird, wonderful oddities. He recorded with labels like Epic, Red River, and even Rhino, often blending blues, jazz, rock, and satire. Though his mainstream chart presence faded, Hawkins toured the world, opened for The Rolling Stones, and made TV and film appearances well into the 1990s—always in costume, always unpredictable.

⚠️ Controversy

From the very beginning, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins was no stranger to controversy. The ban on I Put a Spell on You for its sexual overtones was just the start. His wild, unpredictable stage presence—complete with coffins, fake blood, and voodoo theatrics—outraged conservative audiences and confused traditional blues fans. Some critics labeled his act “obscene,” others called it “embarrassing,” and many didn’t know whether to laugh or run. Hawkins leaned into the chaos, proudly refusing to fit into any clean category. He was blues, rock, horror, parody, and performance art—all rolled into one explosive persona.

Despite the showmanship, there were tensions beneath the surface. Hawkins often found himself at odds with Black radio stations and mainstream R&B promoters, who feared his antics played into offensive stereotypes. Even some fellow musicians distanced themselves from his act, worried it would set the genre back rather than push it forward. Hawkins defended himself by saying he was simply being an entertainer—doing what others were too afraid to try. Still, the debate followed him for much of his life: was he innovating... or exploiting?

Adding to the mystique and confusion was Hawkins himself, who loved to mythologize his life and work. He gave conflicting stories in interviews, exaggerated his upbringing, and joked about fathering “dozens” of children across the world. It was never clear where the man ended and the character began—and he liked it that way. Screamin’ Jay thrived in controversy, using it as fuel for a career that defied rules, labels, and expectations.

🕯️ Final Years

Though his mainstream fame never fully returned, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins remained a cult icon throughout the 1980s and ’90s. He toured extensively across Europe and Japan, where audiences embraced his eccentric stage persona and retro horror appeal. Filmmakers and musicians alike continued to pay tribute—his songs appeared in films like Stranger Than Paradise and Natural Born Killers, and artists like Tom Waits and Nick Cave openly cited him as an influence. Hawkins even took small acting roles, bringing his wild charisma to screen in films like Mystery Train and A Rage in Harlem.

Despite his chaotic image, Hawkins worked consistently and maintained his signature style right up until the end. He passed away on February 12, 2000, at the age of 70, following surgery related to an aneurysm. True to form, his death was surrounded by rumors, exaggerations, and wild stories—just like his life. But behind all the noise, one thing was clear: Hawkins had left behind a musical legacy unlike anyone else.

🏆 Legacy

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins didn’t just sing songs—he set the stage for generations of artists who blurred the line between music and performance. Without him, there might be no Alice Cooper, no Arthur Brown, no Marilyn Manson. His blend of theatrical horror, booming vocals, and onstage chaos made him the original shock-rocker—decades before the term even existed.

His music continues to haunt pop culture. I Put a Spell on You has been covered by more than 50 artists across every genre imaginable, and it remains a Halloween staple to this day. Hawkins' fearless creativity made space for weirdness in music, showing that strange could be powerful, and outrageous could be unforgettable.

Though he had only one major hit, his influence runs deep. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins proved that legacy isn’t about chart numbers—it’s about shaking the room, leaving jaws dropped, and making sure no one forgets your name. And in that sense, he succeeded like few others ever have.

M L Lamp

ML Lamp is the owner of Kilroy Was Here. After his 20 years of working in Las Vegas in the entertainment promotions field, Mr. Lamp retired in 2002 from his job to pursue his passion for collectibles. Now as a guest speaker and author he’s living the dream, and sharing his warmth with You.