Tim Easton
If you haven't been astonished in a while, go down an Internet rabbit hole on the subject of Ted Hawkins. Born in Lakeshore, Miss. in 1936, the singer-guitarist didn't exactly toil in obscurity, but he never seemed able to fully enjoy the fruits of his labors, spending substantial portions of his life in jail or struggling with substance abuse. Hawkins is remembered by many as a fixture on Venice Beach Boardwalk, despite having cut a handful of much-loved records for Rounder and Geffen. Whether performing for passersby with a camcorder or a packed house of kids who look like they wandered in from a Fine Young Cannibals show, Hawkins' nuanced, soulful intensity was transfixing.
Twenty years after his death from a stroke, a group of artists inspired by Hawkins' work is paying tribute with Cold and Bitter Tears, a compilation slated for an Oct. 23 release on Austin's Eight 30 Records. We're very pleased to premiere a rendition of "One Hundred Miles" performed by Music City's Tim Easton, who honed his own considerable chops as a busker.
"Like a lot of his songs, 'One Hundred Miles' is deceptively simple," says Easton. "Ted already nailed it, so it's our turn now to hopefully bring his music to other people by doing it our way. I was really happy with the way the band really leaned into it and put a dance beat behind it. When he plays it, it sounds like a dance song, too, but you just hear his foot tapping. That's his beat.” Give it a listen after the jump.
