In 1993, a four-year-old Parker Hawkins sat on a plane headed from Nashville to New Orleans to visit his Nana. This could have been just another family trip, but once that little boy took his first steps into the French Quarter, something changed inside of him.

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The rhythm of New Orleans filled his  soul, and a love of music possessed him. 

 

The grandson of Louisiana sharecroppers and East Tennessee dirt farmers, Hawkins took to music like a dog to a bone. By age 13, Hawkins was playing the blues and funk in Nashville at family friends’ barbecues with the likes of Billy Cox and Nashville blues legend Nick Nixon. 

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These experiences pushed Hawkins to pursue music throughout college. Hawkins played in every ensemble that the University of Richmond’s music department would let him join, exploring elements of jazz, bluegrass, Latin rhythms, and classical composition. 

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After graduating and returning to Nashville, Hawkins hit the ground running as a sought-after hired gun, playing with artists such as troubadours Stuffy Shmitt and Amelia White, underground funk menagerie Grizzly T and the Salvation, and the down-and-dirty roots outfit Lynn Taylor  and the Barflies.  

Most recently, Hawkins can be heard playing with Piper and the Hard Times, whose 2024 debut album album Revelation shot straight to the number #1 on the Billboard blues chart. 

Now it’s Hawkins’ time to shine. 

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Working with veteran writers and premier session players in Nashville, Hawkins serves his new album Street Dog like a slice of Nana’s pecan pie for the soul.  

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Continuing to pull from wide-ranging genres, Nighthawk’s eclectic yet cohesive sound is full of surprises and tasteful nuances while staying grounded in a strong Nashville songwriting foundation. 

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Get ready y’all, Nighthawk is ready to fly!