Warrior Trail to feature guitarist
Blues guitarist Ernie Hawkins of Pittsburgh will be making a welcome return visit at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Warrior Trail Association headquarters on Garards Fort Road, Fordyce.
Although this is a regular meeting night, anyone with a hankering for old-time finger picking is invited to bring a covered dish, stay for the meeting and join the fun.
“We were able to get Ernie to perform in 2012 through the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, and I’m very happy we could get him back again,” President Llew Williams said. “The program is free and you don’t want to miss this opportunity to hear Ernie play.”
Hawkins, an acoustic blues guitarist, singer, recording artist and educator, is part of PHC’s Commonwealth Speakers Program that brings art, history, literature and other humanities events to the public.
Hawkins was born in Pittsburgh in 1947 and developed an early passion for the Piedmont-style of finger picking from the Carolina foothills. As a teen, he learned guitar from local players and the caretaker on his Uncle Pete’s farm. He listened to the recordings of old-time musicians such as Elizabeth Cotton, Blind Willie McTell, Etta Baker and Maybelle Carter.
After graduating high school, he headed to New York to study with blues legend the Rev. Gary Davis, who was born blind in the deep poverty of rural South Carolina but survived to become a giant of American traditional music.
Hawkins’ music and commentary gives the audience a chance to discover the essentials of Piedmont guitar and how Davis’ entertaining style is the essence of that tradition.
The program includes reminiscences and riffs from Hawkins long career playing Piedmont, Delta and country blues, ragtime and gospel, making music with many others, including Davis, Maria Muldaur and appearing on Prairie Home Companion and Mountain Stage.
For more information, call 304-534-2213.
For more information about Hawkins and PHC visit www.erniehawkins.com and www.pahumanities.org.