Real name: Harold Franklin Hawkins

Effective period / Period of releases: 1948 - 1987

Born December 22, 1921 Huntington, West Virginia - Died March 5, 1963 Inducted into the West Virgnia Music Hall of Fame (2009). An American country music singer popular from the 1950s into the early 60s known for his rich, smooth vocals and music drawn from blues, boogie and honky tonk. At 6 ft 5 inches tall, he had an imposing stage presence, and his tasteful Western suits set him apart from the rhinestone gaudiness of other male country singers. Hawkins died in the 1963 plane crash that also killed country stars Patsy Cline and Cowboy Copas. He was a member of the Grand Ole Opry and was married to country star Jean Shepard.