Press kit

Smiley Hawkins is a country and Americana singer from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, now based in Salisbury. His original songs waltz all the way from heartbreak, outlaws, to comic numbers about Southern life and playing cards. He sings these alongside country standards of the honky tonkin’ ’50s through the outlaws of the ’70s. His debut album will be recorded in Branson, Missouri, and is due for release in the summer of 2027.

At a glance

Sound
Country, Americana, and honky-tonk
From
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Based in
Salisbury, North Carolina
Live
Solo, voice and acoustic guitar
Record
Debut album due summer 2027
Booking
Isaac Smith

Biography

One line 11 words

Smiley Hawkins is a country and Americana singer-songwriter from North Carolina.

Short 71 words

Smiley Hawkins is a country and Americana singer from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, now based in Salisbury. His original songs waltz all the way from heartbreak, outlaws, to comic numbers about Southern life and playing cards. He sings these alongside country standards of the honky tonkin’ ’50s through the outlaws of the ’70s. His debut album will be recorded in Branson, Missouri, and is due for release in the summer of 2027.

Full 134 words

Smiley Hawkins is a country and Americana singer from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, now based in Salisbury. He grew up singing old-time folk songs and old hymns (some really, really old!), trained as a classical composer, and finally found his way back home through Hank Williams, Marty Robbins, George Jones, and Townes Van Zandt.

His original songs waltz all the way from heartbreak, outlaws, to comic numbers about Southern life. He draws on sources as far apart as the King James Bible and classical Japanese poetry.

His shows also include standards of American country from the years before Urban Cowboy, from the honky tonk kings of the ’50s to the outlaws of the ’70s.

His debut album, presently titled Frown Upside Down, will be recorded in Branson, Missouri, and released in the summer of 2027.

The show

When he’s not opening for another artist, every concert is billed as Smiley Hawkins Presents: The Smiley Hawkins Show, live at the venue. It opens with a radio announcer’s introduction and runs like an old-timey variety show. It features his own songs, covers of country standards, with jokes and crowd work in between. He currently plays solo with an acoustic guitar.

Logos and artwork

The download holds the wordmark, monogram, and drawing in ink and bone, as SVG and transparent PNG, with two square profile pictures. Please keep the wordmark whole: no stretching, outlines, or effects.

Lettering by Albert Malonzo and drawing by Tincho Schmidt.

Typeface: Sorts Mill Goudy

Stage and sound

Smiley Hawkins currently plays solo and will bring his own DI and vocal effects pedal for the nice slap echo sound found on old records. Smiley kindly asks for:

If the venue has no microphone or wedge to spare, he can bring his own Shure SM58 and use his Fishman Loudbox Mini as a monitor.

His rig: Shure SM58, LR Baggs Venue DI and Align Session, TC-Helicon VoiceTone E1 (for slapback echo), and a Fishman Loudbox Mini BT. And a big ol’ smile!

Contact

Isaac Smith

Booking and management

(202) 374-9668