Screamin' Jay

He made the sky turn green, he made the grass turn red
He even put pretty hair on Grandma's bald head
He made the moon back up, he even pushed back time
He took the Frutti out of Tutti, he had the devil drinkin' wine

The first time I heard Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ song, Little Demon, I knew I was listening to something different. To my ears, this music shared similar nonconformist undercurrents with Weird Al and with punk rock bands—clearly not willing to go along with everything society suggests in order to get ahead in life, but also completely unique in his approach.

Whimsical. Macabre. Weird.

Shock rock is what this genre came to be called, but there are other ways to name what sort of music Screamin’ Jay created. One is proto-punk, since this sort of bold anti-establishment messaging and presentation shouted against conformity. Another is horror rock, which I find somewhat more appropriate, given how cool the horror genre is.

At any rate, Screamin’ Jay was a true pioneer in rock and roll. His music inspired countless other bands and solo artists, including the Misfits (read about my interview with them here), Weird Al, Alice Cooper, and so many more artists who shaped music into what it is today.

Jalacy Hawkins was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1929. Orphaned at a young age—much like my grandfather, who was just 10 years older than Jay—Hawkins was raised in foster homes, clearly developing a resilient and independent spirit that would later be reflected in his music.

One foster home was a Blackfoot Native American family. You can hear and see some of this imagery throughout Hawkins’ work.

Hawkins grew into a deep baritone voice, recognizable as talented from an early age. He initially aspired to be an opera singer, but it was his turn towards more unconventional music styles that really made Jay stand out.

Like me, he blended martial arts with rebellious music (for me, it was BJJ and punk rock; for Jay, it was boxing and horror rock).

Like Kurt Vonnegut, Jay was also influenced by his participation in a World War II, but unlike Vonnegut, Jay had to fake his birth certificate to get in.

Once he got back, he played the role of a conventional blues singer, performing with artists like Fats Domino and Tiny Grimes. It was during this time that he honed his skills and developed his distinctive style.

The pivotal moment in Hawkins' career came with the recording of his most famous song, I Put a Spell on You in 1956.

It seems as though we have alcohol to thank (in part) for how unique this song turned out. It was originally going to be more of a classic blues take, but this… wasn’t that.

This recording was raw and unorthodox. It was infused with guttural screams and theatrical flair. Here it was, at last: Screamin’ Jay Hawkins had found his signature style: a fusion of theatrical horror with a blues and rock and roll backdrop.

Over the ensuing years, Screamin' Jay embraced this motif. He was steadily carving out a new genre of music and performance, soon to be picked up by countless others. Outlandish stage props that you might see during an 80s GWAR show, elaborate costumes macabre tactics that Alice Cooper would incorporate during the 1970s… skulls and coffins the Misfits would use during the late 70s and early 80s.

All of this made Screamin’ Jay a legend.

You can see how much he embraced the role as his career ran along here:

Let’s take a moment to reflect on how this unique blend of horror and rock has shaped our own musical tastes. To be sure, a great deal of the stuff I grew up listening to was inspired by Screamin’ Jay’s work.

He stands out as a figure who defied conventions and blazed a trail for rock and roll artists who dared to be different.

Combining talent with uniqueness, his legacy helped plant the seeds of heavy metal performances, so-called shock rock, and proto-punk. It is my hope that Jay’s direct influence will continue to live on.

Are you a fan of 50s rock? How about horror punk, proto-punk, or metal? Can you see influence from Screamin’ Jay’s style in other areas of music? Let’s talk about this!