"I was strolling down the Venice Beach boardwalk in the Summer of 1983 when I came upon a small crowd. If you've been on the boardwalk you know that's nothing out of the ordinary. But the music coming from the middle. Wow! I won't try to describe it in words except to say that tired man sitting on a milk crate delivered the best live performance I've seen in 30 years with a beat up acoustic guitar and no amplification. I walked straight to Penny Lane records and bought "Watch your Step." Grab anything you can find by Ted."
A must have for anyone who buys CD's
TambourineBeats | Michigan | 06/16/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This man is a genius in my eyes. A voice and an acoustic guitar that entertains me for an entire album. His voice is pure butter. A struggling street singer who eventually got a record contract but died before he recieved a check. His story is an amazing one that almost seems like a movie. On this disk he covers mostly old classic soul songs. Hence the title "Songs From Venice Beach" Ted knew how to make the money on the street buy playing songs people were familiar with. Don't get the wrong idea though these songs are definetely performed in true Ted Hawkins style. This CD is very comforting it's kind of hard to explain unless you listen to it. You can tell from his music that Ted Hawkins was a very genuine man."
Agent Double-O Soul
Clark Paull | Murder City | 04/21/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Some of the songs on this CD, and the aching in Ted Hawkins' voice, will make you want to cry. Hawkins chose to sing about many dark, dark subjects, but his voice was a gift from God. Spiritually uplifting and damn depressing, sometimes within the same song. It's a mystery why, but I love it..."
The Real Deal. Blues with a spiritual side
anonymouslyreviewed | Ann Arbor, MI United States | 04/13/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This voice reaches out and touches you. This man has clearly lived some hard times and learned how to forgive. The song, "Ladder of Success" is alone worth the purchase. You will find that the spiritual side of this guy is not pushy and yet hard to ignore. I find his spiritual songs to be his most genuine. Ted Hawkins was a genuis and this is a must-have."
Get to know this artist!!!!!
anonymouslyreviewed | 10/25/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Wonder where the soul of music has gone? People like Ted hawkins don't have a monopoly on it, but they have the lion's share. Ted is, alas, dead, but man, what he left us with is pure gold. It should have been more but we should rejoice with what we do have. My favorite is track 1, in fact it's one of my favorite tracks ever. The first time I listened to it I was brought to tears. Pure, unadulterated human beauty, a 200 proof shot of the depths of human feeling. This is what you get from Hawkins - a religious experience. Surely, if a man is able to sing and communicate like this, we must be sentient beings. Buy this one. Don't wait."