Rocker Ronnie Hawkins, Dies at 87, Patron of Canadian Rock

Rocker Ronnie Hawkins, Dies at 87, Patron of Canadian Rock
Ronnie and Wanda Hawkins arrive for the Canadian Music Industry Awards in Toronto, on March 8, 2007. Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP
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Ronnie Hawkins, a brash rockabilly star from Arkansas who became a patron of the Canadian music scene after moving north and recruiting a handful of local musicians later known as the Band, has died.

His wife Wanda confirmed to The Canadian Press that Hawkins died Sunday morning after an illness. He was 87.