Fulton, Howard County native attended Clarksville Middle School and Atholton High School. He was a guitarist with local bands the Ardvarks, and Teeth. On June 29, 1970 Greg was awarded the County Music Award for outstanding musicianship in Howard County. He soon traveled to Boston to attend the Berklee School of Music.
While enrolled at Berklee he played in numerous bands including Orphan, the Martin Mull band, Richard and the Rabbits. Hawkes also played as a session keyboardist for a folk combo that included another ex-Baltimorean Ric Otcasek along with Benjamin Orr called Milkwood. They released an album in 1972 titled “How’s The Weather” (Paramount 6046). Their band Cap’n Swing with Hawkes, Otcasek (changed stage name to Ocasek), and Orr with Elliott Easton, later adding David Robinson (drums –Modern Lovers), eventually became known as the Cars in 1976. The Cars were voted Best New Artist in 1978 Rolling Stone Readers Poll. The band released 7 albums and scored 18 Billboard Top 100 hits. Greg and The Cars were inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
L-R: Ben Orr, Ric Ocasek, David Robinson, Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes.
A multi-instrumentalist of guitar, bass, keyboards, saxophone, flute, ukulele, and is best known as a trendsetter with his keyboard playing and sequencing of synth-pop new wave style rock. Greg has also collaborated with Paul McCartney, The Turtles, Todd Rundgren, and others.
Greg’s solo releases include the 1983 LP “Niagara Falls” (Passport 6022).
1983(LP) Passport 6022 Niagara Falls
