Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks was a pioneering rock and roll band led by American/Canadian Ronnie Hawkins (1935-2022).

Hawkins formed the band while studying physical education at the University of Arkansas. In 1958, Hawkins moved to Canada with The Hawks and made Peterborough, Ontario, his permanent home. Gradually the members of The Hawks, except for Levon Helm, were replaced with talented Canadians Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson; this was the line-up that was to later become The Band.

The lineup of The Hawks was ever-changing, with Hawkins' keen recruiting that led to former members forming well-known acts that, in addition to The Band, included Full Tilt Boogie Band, Crowbar, Skylark, and solo success of members like King Biscuit Boy and Gowan. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.