Hasil Adkins
Hasil Adkins | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Hasil Adkins |
Born | Boone County, West Virginia, United States | April 29, 1937
Died | April 26, 2005 Boone County, West Virginia, United States | (aged 67)
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter |
Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals, drums, harmonica, keyboards |
Years active | 1957–2005 |
Labels |
Hasil Adkins /ˈhæsəl/[1] (April 29, 1937 – April 26, 2005) was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His genres include rock and roll, country, blues and more commonly rockabilly, and because of his unusual playing and singing style, he is often cited as an example of outsider music. He generally performed as a one-man band, playing guitar and drums at the same time.
Adkins was born during the Great Depression and grew up in poverty. His spirited, unusual lifestyle is reflected in his music. His songs, which he began recording and distributing locally in the mid-1950s, explored an affinity for chicken, sexual intercourse, and decapitation, and were obscure outside of West Virginia until the 1980s. The newfound popularity secured him a cult following, spawned the Norton Records label, and helped usher in the genre known as psychobilly.
Personal life
Adkins was born in
Adkins' given name, Hasil, pronounced "Hassel", was often mispronounced.[9] One of his brothers was named Basil, similarly pronounced "Bassel".[10] Hasil dated a girl named Hazel, and was later given the nickname The Haze.[11] As he explained it, the nickname came about "'cause Starlight records wanted something catchy and I didn't have no middle name."[11]
Hasil Adkins loved to eat meat, specifically poultry, the subject of many of his songs.[2][9] Following the release of 2000's Poultry in Motion, Adkins toured with "dancing go-go chicken" dancers.[11][12] His diet also reportedly consisted of as much as two gallons of coffee a day, and copious amounts of liquor and cigarettes.[2][13]
Aside from his fondness for meat, Adkins claimed to have but three loves in life, "girls, guitars, and cars. All three of [which] got me into trouble over the years."[8] One such incident occurred in 1957 when he and three friends drove a car off a mountain. A local newspaper reported the car tumbled 70 feet into nearby Pond Fork. While the driver died at the scene, Adkins survived, although he sustained a permanent back injury.[8][14][15]
In the 1980s Adkins again found himself in trouble with the law. In 1983 he was living with his girlfriend who was still a minor.
Adkins was said to have
On April 15, 2005, Adkins was run over in his front yard by a teenager[20] riding an ATV.[6][21][22] Eleven days later, on April 26, Adkins was found dead in his home, three days before his 68th birthday.[4][6]
Career
Nicknamed "The Haze", Adkins career began in the mid-1950s in an improvised studio in his home near Madison, West Virginia.[2] There he put his vibrant Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis influences to work by recording scores of songs, beginning with the track "I'm Happy".[8][23] In a later interview he exclaimed "I couldn't afford no drums so I just stomped my feet."[8] He eventually learned to use percussive instruments to accompany his guitar and vocals, which would become his hallmark sound.[4][6]
In 1961 Adkins headed to California in search of fame, auditioning with talent agencies in and around Los Angeles.[2] With little to go on, he returned to West Virginia, though claimed he missed a callback from an agency a single day after departing for his home.[8] Back at home, Adkins began performing at local nightclubs, behind a store-bought sign that read One of the Greatest Shows on Earth, the One Man Band Haze Adkins and his Happy Guitar.[14]
The mid-1960s brought Adkins first official release through a local micro-label, with the
Adkins began to transition from his rockabilly roots to country music by the 1970s, producing several self-released records.[2] It was a tradition of his to mail a copy of each single he released to the sitting President of the United States. In 1970 Richard Nixon wrote back, saying "I am very pleased by your thoughtfulness in bringing these particular selections to my attention."[4][18]
The early 1980s saw a resurgence in Adkins' fan base when the American punk rock band The Cramps did a remake of Adkins' "She Said".[4] The Cramps having picked up the song from the bootleg compilation Rockabilly Bash during a UK tour. In 1984 UK label Big Beat Records included Hasil's original on the psychobilly compilation Rockabilly Psychosis and the Garage Disease. Having made contact with Big Beat Records, Hasil proceeded to provide them with some of his home recorded tapes, which resulted in the album He Said being released in 1985.[25]
Also in 1985, he was approached by former Cramps drummer Miriam Linna and her husband Billy Miller about releasing some of Adkins' work. Resultantly they created the independent record label Norton Records and released the compilation album Out To Hunch in 1986, which became an underground success.[2][23] Billy Miller soon was appointed as Adkins' manager,[26] and together with Linna they headed to New York City for Adkins' first professional recording session, yielding 1987's The Wild Man.[2] Upon release, the album was featured as The New York Times "Rock Album of the Week".[27]
By the 1990s Adkins had gained a cult following and began touring regularly, receiving offers from more record labels. In 1994
In 2000 Norton released a compilation of new and previous recordings about Adkins' devotion to chicken, entitled Poultry in Motion[4] that included such songs as "Chicken Run," "Chicken Hop," "Chicken Flop," "Chicken Wobble," and "Chicken on the Bone."[29] In total, Adkins claimed nearly 7,000 songs to his repertoire.[1][3][4]
While music was his true passion, Adkins enjoyed a career in the film and television industry. He played himself as a street musician in 2004's
Adkins was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame in 2018.[37]
Legacy
Adkins is often cited as an important precursor to the
Adkins' song "Get Out of My Car" was featured in the popular video game Grand Theft Auto V on the country radio station "Rebel Radio".
Musical style
Frenetic in
Adkins performed as a
Many of Adkins' songs were accompanied by a dance of the same name. "The Hunch" was understood to be a
Adkins primarily recorded and performed his own songs, although Peanut Butter Rock and Roll included covers of Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes" and Harry Belafonte's "Day-O".[40] Additionally, Achy Breaky Ha Ha Ha, a country album, included covers of songs by Bill Monroe, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Carter Stanley, and A. P. Carter.
Discography
- Singles & EP's[43]
- Haze's House Party (Norton Records, 1986, LULU1)
- Big Red Satellite (Norton Records, 1987, NORTON 002)
- Albums[44]
- He Said (Big Beat Records, 1985)
- Out to Hunch (Norton Records, 1986, ED-201)
- The Wild Man (Norton Records, 1987)
- Moon Over Madison (Norton Records, 1990)
- Peanut Butter Rock and Roll (Norton Records, 1990)
- Live in Chicago (Bughouse, 1992)
- Look at that Caveman Go!! (Norton Records, 1993)
- Achy Breaky Ha Ha Ha (Norton Records, 1994)
- What the Hell Was I Thinking (Fat Possum / Turnstile, 1998)
- Drinkin My Life Away (Shake It Records, 2003)
- Evening Show Road (Nero's Nepture)
- Compilations[45]
- Chicken Walk (Dee Jay (Germany), 1986)
- Poultry in Motion (Norton Records, 2000)
- Best of the Haze (CIA / Copeland International Arts, 2006)
- Night Life (2009)
- White Light/White Meat (Norton Records)
Filmography
- The Wild World of Hasil Adkins (1993)[46]
- R.I.P. Rest in Pieces (1997), musician[47]
- Let Me Be Your Band (2003)[9]
- The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (2004)
- Die You Zombie Bastards! (2005)
References
- ^ a b c "Madison Madman: Hasil Adkins". Deuce of Clubs. Planet Magazine. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
- ^ Allmusic. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
- ^ a b "Hasil Adkins, 67; Musician Popular With Rockabilly Fans". Los Angeles Times. April 29, 2005. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g Raby, John. "He hunches in Heaven. Hasil Adkins dead at 67". WFMU. Associated Press. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
- ^ a b c Ruland, Jim. "A final recording from Hasil Adkins". Oxford American. Archived from the original on August 18, 2013. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
- ^ a b c d Kiefaber, Dave (August 18, 2011). "Awesome Men in History: Hasil Adkins". TSBMag.com. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
- ^ a b Adams, Owen (July 4, 2008). "Crazy Haze: is Hasil Adkins the true father of punk?". The Guardian. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Minsker, Marc. "TRUE GRIT: The hunchman from Boone Co". Graffiti Magazine. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g Williams, Bradley. "Interview with Hasil Adkins". Razorcake. Archived from the original on January 12, 2014. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
- ^ "Hasil Adkins". NNDB. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
- ^ a b c d Sekerka, John. "Tape Hiss Interview with Hasil Adkins". cosmik.com. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
- ^ a b Abbott, Jim (December 12, 2003). "Hasil Adkins: A Rare Bird Of Rock". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
- ^ a b c d Keith, John Dylan. "No More Hot Dogs – Hasil Adkins' Last Recording". On The Page Magazine. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
- ^ a b "Hasil Adkins". Fat Possum Records. Archived from the original on January 7, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
- ^ Hasil Adkins (1993). The Wild World of Hasil Adkins. Appalshop. Event occurs at 06:07. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
- ^ Nevada Daily Mail. Associated Press. May 22, 1986. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
- ^ a b Hasil Adkins (1993). The Wild World of Hasil Adkins. Appalshop. Event occurs at 08:50. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
- ^ a b c Cartwright, Garth (May 2005). "Obituary: Hasil Adkins". The Guardian. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
- The Oklahoma Daily. April 23, 1999. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
- ^ staff. "WV MUSIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES OF 2018". West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
- ^ Classic Rock Magazine. Archived from the originalon January 7, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
- ^ Bulter, Blake (March 13, 2014). "Hill William Sings Ghost Country". Vice. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g Sisario, Ben (April 30, 2005). "Hasil Adkins, Wild Man of Rockabilly, Dies at 68". The New York Times. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
- ^ "Hasil Adkins Will Cut Your Head Off If You Eat Too Many Hot Dogs". The Walrus. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
- )
- ^ Deming, Mark. "The Wild Man – Hasil Adkins". Allmusic. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
- ^ a b Palmer, Robert (July 31, 1987). "POP AND JAZZ GUIDE". The New York Times. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
- ^ The Boston Phoenix. weeklywire.com. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
- ^ Deming, Mark. "Poultry in Motion: The Hasil Adkins Chicken Collection". Allmusic. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
- ^ a b Blogalachia, Faces. "A real Hasil of a car". WestVirginiaVille. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
- ISBN 978-1-55783-729-5.
- ^ "The Red's Breakfast Experience (2001)". SynopsiTV. Archived from the original on March 16, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
- ^ "Die You Zombie Bastards (2005)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on March 28, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
- Allmovie. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
- ^ "Hair High (2004)". Allmovie. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
- ^ Cooper, Tracie. "The Wild World of Hasil Adkins (1993)". allmovie. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
- ^ Lynch, William. "Unexpected connections in new class of West Virginia Music Hall of Fame inductees, Charleston Gazette-Mail, February 1, 2018. Accessed 2018-03-28.
- ^ "Safari". Allmusic. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
- ^ a b Windham, Ben (July 12, 2002). "Hasil Adkins' CD a demented dream come true". The Tuscaloosa News.
- ^ Allmusic. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
- ^ "Peanut Butter Rock and Roll (review)". iTunes. January 1990. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
- Amazon MP3. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
- ^ "Hasil Adkins single's & EP's". Discogs. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ "Hasil Adkins – Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
- ^ "Hasil Adkins – Compilations". AllMusic. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
- ^ "Hasil Adkins filmography". Allmovie. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
- ^ "R.I.P. Rest in Pieces (1997)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on March 28, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
External links
- Hasil Adkins at AllMusic
- Hasil Adkins at IMDb
- Hasil Adkins at Find a Grave
- In Memory of Hasil Adkins