R&B Legend Screamin' Jay Hawkins Dies In Paris

14 Feb 2000 10:00:00 EST

Screamin' Jay Hawkins

Screamin' Jay Hawkins, the voodoo-inspired blues legend who influenced such diverse artists as Marilyn Manson, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Tom Waits, died at a hospital in Paris on Saturday from complications related to surgery.

Hawkins, who was 70 years old, suffered a fatal hemorrhage after doctors operated on him in order to remove an intestinal blockage, according to a report from Reuters.

Born Jalacy Hawkins in Cleveland on June 18, 1929, Screamin' Jay is best remembered for his '50s classic, "I Put A Spell On You," as well as his over-the-top concert theatrics, which included his being carried offstage in a flaming coffin.

Hawkins, who played piano and tenor saxophone, started off in the army, where he earned acclaim as a boxer and won a junior Golden Gloves championship in 1943. He continued to box until the end of the decade, winning the Alaskan middleweight championship in 1949.

Hawkins switched to music in the early '50s, playing with guitarist Tiny Grimes and on Fats Domino's musical revue before embarking on a solo career in 1955. He released his first album, "At Home With Screamin' Jay Hawkins," in 1956.

As a performer, Hawkins incorporated skeletal props and gold-trimmed, leopard-skin costumes into his live show, and continued to perform in Europe and U.S. up through the '90s. His final studio album, titled "At Last," was released in 1998.

In addition to music, Hawkins also appeared in several films, including "Two Moon Junction" in 1988, Jim Jarmusch's "Mystery Train" in 1989, and "A Rage In Harlem" in 1989.

More recently, Hawkins' style can influence can be seen in the macabre music of Marilyn Manson, who covered "I Put A Spell On You" for his 1995 LP "Smells Like Children."

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Screamin' Jay Hawkins