Screamin' Jay Hawkins

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins (1929-2000) was a unique Afro-American musician who had a tumultuous career and a strong affiliation with voodoo. He was renowned for his eccentric live performances - emerging out of coffins on stage, and laying bones, skulls and other paraphernalia atop his piano. Along with Bo Didley, Hawkins celebrated his blackness in a way that was very rare in the 1950s and frequently alluded to jungles, cannibalism and mysticism to a degree that even alienated his black audience. Hawkins fame was much diminished when his song “I put a spell on you” was used in the Jim Jarmusch cult film “Stranger than paradise” but Hawkins had lost the rights to the song, receiving few royalties from its massive success. Jarmusch also cast Hawkins as a desk clerk in “Mystery train” (1989). This documentary features interviews with Bo Didley, Diamanda Galas, Jim Jarmusch, Andrew Williams and Eric Burden as well as producers, family and friends. Songs include: I put a spell on you (several versions), Alligator wine, Frenzy, Shout and Goodnight sweetheart. Features live footage of Hawkins on stage as well as extensive interviews with him just prior to his death.