In 1956, Westbrook resident and television repair man Al Hawkes founded the Event Records label with his wife Barbara and their friend Richard Greeley. Al began producing records by local Maine artists and popular musicians on tour in Maine “from away.” Throughout the 1950s and 60s, he created some of the most highly regarded country, bluegrass, and rockabilly recordings. The Eventful Life of Al Hawkes tells the story of Event Records, and Al’s own story as an accomplished musician and officially designated “First Generation Bluegrass Music Pioneer.” As Al works to preserve the thousands of recordings he has made and collected in the past sixty years, we learn how vital our musical history is to understanding the culture of our region.
The Eventful Life of Al Hawkes is produced by Andrew Jawitz of Rockhouse Mountain Productions.
To purchase a video visit the Rockhouse Mountain Productions website
Go to the MPBN Community Films Web page
[The Eventful Life of Al Hawkes originally aired on MPBN Community Films December 2, 2010.]
