Sophie B. Hawkins

Sophie Ballantine Hawkins (born November 1, 1964)[1] is an American singer-songwriter, musician and painter. Born in New York City, she attended the Manhattan School of Music for a year as a percussionist before leaving to pursue a music career.[2] She achieved critical and commercial success with her first two albums, producing a string of single hits including "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover", "Right Beside You", and "As I Lay Me Down". However, a dispute with her record label Sony Music over her third album, Timbre, caused her to establish her own independent label, Trumpet Swan Productions, which has published her subsequent recordings.

Sophie B. Hawkins
Hawkins in 2006
Background information
Birth nameSophie Ballantine Hawkins
Born (1964-11-01) November 1, 1964
New York City, New York, U.S.
GenresRock, pop, pop rock
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
InstrumentsVocals, guitar, piano, keyboards, drums
Years active1990–present
Labels
Websitesophiebhawkins.com

Hawkins is a vegan and a long-time supporter of animal rights and environmental causes. She is also a well-known social and political activist, supporting events promoting women in music and LGBT rights. In 2008, she endorsed Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

Career

Hawkins's debut album, Tongues and Tails, was released in 1992.[3] It achieved both worldwide commercial success and critical acclaim, earning her a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist in 1993. The single "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover" went to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the US and was also a Top 20 hit in the UK.[3] Hawkins was asked to perform Bob Dylan's "I Want You," which she covered on Tongues and Tails, for the 1992 Madison Square Garden concert honoring Dylan's 30th anniversary as a musician; this was later released as The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration.

Whaler, her second album, was released in 1994. Produced by Stephen Lipson, it also contained a US top 10 hit, "As I Lay Me Down,"[3] and was certified gold. Three singles from the album made the UK Top 40, including "Right Beside You," which peaked at #13. The same year, Hawkins posed nude for Interview.[4] As she explained to Ed Rampell when he interviewed her for Q magazine, she met the photographer, Bruce Weber, and was asked if she would do a photoshoot with him. While she had provided her own clothes, Weber deliberately had her wear an unflattering dress as part of his plan to convince Hawkins to disrobe during the shoot.[5]

A 1998 documentary by Gigi Gaston, titled The Cream Will Rise, followed Hawkins during one of her tours and captured her struggle to deal with past troubles with her family, including her mother and brother. Music by Hawkins was included throughout the film.

Also in 1998, Hawkins's record company, Sony Music, delayed the release of her third album. Its executives were unhappy with the finished product and wanted Hawkins to rework some of the material. In particular, they insisted that Hawkins remove a banjo track from one of the songs. Hawkins refused to accommodate them, citing artistic integrity as her main reason. After a lengthy battle between Hawkins and the company, the album, Timbre, was eventually released in 1999,[3] though Sony declined to promote it. Hawkins subsequently left the label and founded her own label, Trumpet Swan Productions. In 2001, Timbre was re-released on Hawkins's label, now as a two-disc set that contained new songs, demos, remixes, and videos. Her first independently recorded and released album, Wilderness, was released in 2004.

In 2012, Hawkins starred as Janis Joplin in the play, Room 105,[6] which was written and directed by her longtime girlfriend and manager, Gigi Gaston. After another long hiatus, she released her fifth album of all-new material in 2012, titled The Crossing.

On April 4, 2013, Hawkins appeared on the TV series Community as herself, performing "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover" and "As I Lay Me Down" during the community college's "Sophie B. Hawkins Dance," so named because they confused the singer with Susan B. Anthony.

Hawkins appeared at the German TV show Night Grooves, in 2019, singing several songs, discussing her past, and showing off her drumming talent.

Personal life

Hawkins has two children, Dashiell (b. 2008) and Esther Ballantine (b. 2015).[7] Esther was conceived using an embryo she had frozen 20 years earlier.[8]

In an interview with Rock Cellar Magazine in 2012, Hawkins said that she identified as omnisexual.[9] Although there were rumors she had dated Martina Navratilova and Jodie Foster, she denied those, saying, "I've never met any of the women I'm supposed to have had affairs with."[5]

Politics

In August 2007, Hawkins headlined the first Los Angeles Women's Music Festival in support of its dual agenda of supporting animal rescue groups and promoting and supporting female musicians. Hawkins is a vegan and a long-time supporter of animal rights.[10]

In February 2008, Hawkins re-recorded her hit "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover" as "Damn, We Wish You Were President" in support of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Hawkins also wrote in her blog, "Hillary Clinton's achievements come from her heart. She has initiated so much positive change for families, children, victims of crime and the environment in her struggle for the forward movement of America and the working people of this nation."[11]

In May 2010, Hawkins began supporting Waterkeeper Alliance, an organization of on-the-water advocates who patrol and protect more than 100,000 miles of rivers, streams and coastlines in North and South America, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. She donated 100% of the proceeds of her single "The Land, the Sea, and the Sky" to the organization.

In February 2011, Hawkins performed at the Big Gay Party event staged by GOProud, an organization of gay conservatives, as part of the year's Conservative Political Action Conference festivities. In an after-show interview in the reason.tv documentary "Liberal in Bed, Conservative in the Head: Sophie B. Hawkins." Hawkins gave her views on issues such as gun ownership, the free market, limited government and identity politics.[12]

In 2017, Hawkins lent her voice in support of LGBTQ youth suicide prevention organization, The Trevor Project's, 20th Anniversary celebration video campaign.[13]

Awards and nominations
YearAwardsWorkCategoryResult
1993 Grammy Awards Herself Best New Artist Nominated
1995 RSH Gold Awards Kraftrille des Jahres Won
1996 APRA Music Awards "As I Lay Me Down" Most Performed Foreign Work Nominated

Discography
Main article: Sophie B. Hawkins discography

Filmography

References
  1. Sieczkowski, Cavan (February 9, 2015). "Singer Sophie B. Hawkins, 50, Is Pregnant With Second Child". The Huffington Post.
  2. "About Sophie B. Hawkins". Sophiebhawkins.com. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  3. Colin Larkin, ed. (2000). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. pp. 187/8. ISBN 0-7535-0427-8.
  4. Interview, February 1994, volume 24 n2, p. 122
  5. Sutcliffe, Phil (January 1995). "Sophie B Hawkins interview." Q Magazine, issue 100.
  6. "Sell Out Hit – Room 105 is Extended through December 30th!". sophiebhawkins.com. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  7. "Sophie B. Hawkins Welcomes Daughter Esther Ballantine". people.com. July 10, 2015. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  8. "Baby Girl on the Way for Sophie B. Hawkins - at 50!". people.com. February 26, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  9. Rampell, Ed. (December 2012). "Inside Janis Joplin's 'Room 105' – Interview with Singer Sophie B. Hawkins". Rock Cellar Magazine. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  10. "Los Angeles Women's Music Festival official website". Lawmf.com. Retrieved February 4, 2010.
  11. "Blog entry of 16 02 2008 from her official site". Sophiebhawkins.com. Retrieved December 25, 2012.
  12. "Liberal in Bed, Conservative in the Head: Sophie B. Hawkins" (video). Reason.tv. YouTube.
  13. Sophie B. Hawkins Supports LGBTQ Youth from Trevor Project, YouTube, Retrieved November 12, 2019
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