Erskine Ramsay Hawkins, born on July 26, 1914, in Birmingham, Alabama, was a renowned American trumpeter and big band leader known as "The 20th Century Gabriel" for his impressive high-note trumpet playing. Named after Alabama industrialist Erskine Ramsay, Hawkins began his musical journey playing drums at age seven, later transitioning to trombone, and ultimately finding his true calling with the trumpet at thirteen. He attended Industrial High School in Birmingham, where he was mentored by the influential music teacher J.T. “Fess” Whatley.

Hawkins gained initial fame as a member of the 'Bama State Collegians, a band formed while he attended Alabama State Teachers College. The group traveled to New York City during the Great Depression, gaining popularity at the Savoy Ballroom and eventually evolving into the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra. This ensemble became noted for its swing music and was a prominent dance band in New York City.

In 1939, Hawkins co-composed the jazz standard "Tuxedo Junction," which became a significant hit during World War II. The song reached No. 7 on the charts in its original version by Hawkins' orchestra and No. 1 in a version by the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Hawkins' orchestra featured prominent vocalists like Ida James, Delores Brown, and Della Reese, and it helped launch the careers of several notable jazz musicians.

Hawkins continued to perform and record music well into the 1980s, with his work increasingly leaning towards rhythm-and-blues. He was a significant influence on young R&B artists, including Ray Charles. Hawkins was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame as one of its first five members and is also a member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. He passed away on November 11, 1993, in Willingboro Township, New Jersey, at the age of 79.