Song:Susie Q
Album:Susie Q: The Singles As & Bs 1956-1960
Most music fans are probably familiar with the 1968 top twenty hit Susie Q by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Though John Fogerty wrote most CCR songs, the original recording of Susie Q was written and recorded by Dale Hawkins in 1957. Today it is hailed as a rockabilly classic and Hawkins is considered to be a pioneer of Louisiana swamp rock. He was born Aug. 22, 1936 in St. Mary Parish, LA. Ronnie Hawkins was his cousin. Hawkins was playing Shreveport clubs when he got the opportunity to record Susie Q for the local label Norton Records. Hawkins wrote Susie Q with legendary guitarist James Burton and Burton played the guitar solo. The song did well enough locally that Norton sold the record to Chess who released it nationally on Checker in 1957. Susie Q reached #7 on the R&B Singles chart and #27 on the Billboard Hot 100. It should have been a much bigger hit. Racism was prevalent in the music business back then. And though Hawkins was white, many radio stations thought he was black and refused to play Susie Q. Today Susie Q is a frequently covered classic, most significantly by Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1968. A couple of Hawkins' other Checker singles charted but Susie Q is the only one most will remember. You can get all his Checker singles on this Jasmine Records budget comp. Hawkins left Chess in 1959 and recorded for London, Atlantic, Tilt, Abnak and ABC Paramount. Hawkins got into production in the 60s, most significantly with The Five Americans. He returned to recording with Bell Records in 1969. He was also an executive at Bell, Abnak and RCA where he worked with Michael Nesmith and Harry Nilsson. Hawkins returned to performing and occasionally recording in the 90s until his death on Feb. 13, 2010 at age 73. Dale Hawkins is in The Rockabilly Hall of Fame and The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. And Susie Q is in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. Here's Dale Hawkins performing Susie Q. The clip doesn't say when or where this was taped. My guess is fairly recently in The Netherlands.
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