Biography
Ronnie Hawkins (1935–2022) was an American rock and roll singer and occasional actor. Born Ronald Cornett Hawkins in Huntsville, Arkansas, he began his career in the United States before finding lasting success in Canada, where he lived for most of his life and became known as a mentor to musicians including members of The Band.
Hawkins appeared in a number of films and television productions. He played Major Wolcott in Michael Cimino’s Heaven’s Gate (1980) and featured as himself in Martin Scorsese’s The Last Waltz (1978) and Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese (2019). Other credits include roles in Snake Eater (1989), Due South (1994) and Meatballs III: Summer Job (1986). He was appointed an honorary Officer of the Order of Canada.
