Musicians love to perform and Chesney Hawkes is one of life’s natural entertainers. Born into pop royalty, he has been hitting the boards for three decades.
Hawkes broke through at just 19, but his education began even earlier. His father Len, aka “Chip”, was the bassist in 1960s sensations The Tremeloes, who enjoyed worldwide hits with songs like Silence is Golden and (Call Me) Number One.
“When I was little, Dad would sometimes take me to gigs,” he recalls. “I have memories of being backstage, peeking from the wings and seeing the lights, and the band in leather trousers and shirts open down to their navels, and thinking, ‘That’s gonna be me.’”
These days Hawkes still relishes writing and playing live; and this year is set to be very busy, with a new album and a string of headline concerts. One he’s particularly looking forward to this summer is for Warner Hotels.
As Chesney Hawkes gets ready for his biggest show in years,
he talks to Mike Pattenden about swapping LA for the UK,
gigging in Warner Hotels and letting go of that song
A fitting venue
Chesney Hawkes plays at Studley Castle this summer
‘One minute I was playing pubs –
the next I was on a US tour’
Beyond
To discover more about Warner Hotels and the entertainment it offers, visit warnerleisurehotels.co.uk/live-shows
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“The thing I love about these Warner gigs is that they’re always held in fantastic historic castles or beautiful old mansions,” he says. “They’re really different to anywhere else I play and that makes them a memorable experience, not just for me but for everyone.”
Warner Hotels offers renowned adult-oriented breaks at locations in some of the UK’s finest, most historic countryside. Its roster of concerts this year includes Matt Goss, Go West and Michael Ball. Hawkes’s takes place in June at Studley Castle – a Grade II listed Victorian house and grounds in Warwickshire – heading the line-up at one of Warner Hotel’s ’80s festivals.
One song on his set list is The One and Only, his debut hit that topped the UK chart for five weeks and went Top Ten in America, launching his whirlwind career.
“It was meteoric,” says the 52-year-old. “One minute I was playing piano in local pubs, the next I was on a tour bus heading across America, with screaming girls being discovered hiding in the toilet.”
It’s not unusual for some artists to have an ambivalent relationship with their biggest hit, and Hawkes is no different. He never quite eclipsed it, despite writing many good songs of his own (it was penned by Nik Kershaw).
“I’ve had my ups and downs with it over the years; I didn’t even play it for nearly ten years. I’m a musician first and foremost – that was always my trajectory,” he says. “I respect the song now. It’s so well constructed, but I’ve relinquished ownership of it because it means so much to so many people. It’s played at weddings and funerals, and you can’t say that for too many songs.”
Hawkes, now a father of three, tours regularly. Last year he played his favourite gig ever, for 20,000 West Ham fans in Prague before his team went on to win the UEFA Europa Conference League final. This year he is headlining his biggest in years at the Kentish Town Forum. There’s a new album, too, produced by long-term friend Jake Gosling, who has worked with Ed Sheeran, Paloma Faith and One Direction.
“It’s titled Living Arrows, which is taken from a Kahlil Gibran poem,” he says. “There are some pop bangers on it but there are some more introspective songs. You get to a point in your life where you look back and think about things that you haven’t addressed.”
Discover the difference
Born in Windsor, Berkshire, Hawkes has much to look back at fondly, too, not least a 2017 tour with his father.
“Sharing harmonies with Dad onstage was one of the most beautiful moments I will ever have,” he says. “I will treasure the memory forever because he’s not in such good shape now. It breaks my heart a little bit.”
Chip’s health is one reason Chesney, a long-term resident of Los Angeles, is looking to move back to the UK. He’s not sure where, but one possibility is Dorset, where he has been going for years. He stays with a close friend, who owns the Cerne Abbas Brewery in the local village famous for its giant naked hill figure.
As well as Studley Castle, a Grade II-listed Victorian house, other Warner Hotels venues include Heythrop Park, a Grade II-listed country house in the Cotswolds, and Nidd Hall, a grand 18th-century North Yorkshire mansion. Why not enjoy a guided tour at yours?
Choose from a spectacular year-long live events programme featuring some of the biggest names in comedy and music, including Matt Goss, Go West, Michael Ball, Gareth Malone and Brian Conley.
Why not try your hand at fun activities like archery, axe-throwing, croquet and cycling? Or take in cooking demonstrations, cocktail tastings and dance classes.
All hotels offer classic spa experiences with pools, saunas and steam rooms designed to relax and rejuvenate the body, plus holistic extras, like massages, facials and body treatments.
Hotels are adults-only with breakfast and dinner included. Restaurants serve the best seasonal food, while all the rooms are luxurious, with everything you’ll need for your stay.
A piece of history
Making memories
Chesney Hawkes appears with his band at Studley Castle on June 21
“America is full of hope, and LA is the epitome of that. The sun is always shining and everyone goes there to fulfil a dream of some sort, but everything runs its course,” he says. “I love it in Dorset – it’s such a great vibe, it’s the closest thing for me.”
First, there is that gig at Warner Hotels’ Studley Castle. What does he have in mind?
“I like to tailor-make these sets for the audience,” he says. “I’ll probably throw in a few Tremeloes songs for older members and newer covers for the younger crowd, so everyone gets something to sing along with. By the end – if all goes to plan – everyone will be on the dance floor. These events are always parties, that’s why they’re so much fun to play.”
The stage is set
Hawkes is touring this year to support
his new album
Change of pace
Hawkes has taken inspiration over the years from his dad Len, aka “Chip”, who was in The Tremeloes
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