Hawkshaw Hawkins

Born December 22, 1921 Huntington, West Virginia - Died March 5, 1963 - Inducted into the West Virginia 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. On March 5, 1963, Hawkins was killed in a plane crash in Tennessee that also took the lives of country stars Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas and Randy Hughes. He was a member of the Grand Ole Opry and was married to country star Jean Shepard.