Spoiler : Born in Birmingham, Alabama 7/26/1914; died 11/11/1993 in Willingboro, New Jersey. Married to Florence Browning (1935-?). By age seven he was an accomplished musician. While attending the Alabama State Teacher's College, he formed a band called The Bama Stage Collegians. Moved to New York in 1936 and formed his Erskine Hawkins band, making his debut at the Harlem Opera House. This famed trumpet player was a recording artist on the Bluebird record label. Composer of tunes including Tuxedo Junction; Gin Mill Special; You Can't Escape From Me. He joined ASCAP in 1945. Hawkins performed on many band remotes during the late 1940s into the 1950s, and he continued performing into the 1980s.