My wife, I, and another couple went to a nightclub many years ago. Coleman Hawkins was appearing there. For some reason which I can’t remember we had to leave quickly. Coleman Hawkins came over to us and asked us to stay, but I told him we had to leave. I felt badly because there weren’t many people in the club and apparently Hawk was disappointed in the small turnout.
- Hawkins, Milan 1967: Photograph by Roberto Polillo
At a later date I met someone who told me this story. He was on a cruise and there were two bands playing in different ballrooms, Coleman Hawkins, and a rock group. The rock group had many people there, but Hawk had only a few. These are two sad stories which came later in Hawk’s life, but it seems that he lost his audience near the end of his career.
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