Biography
Born on November 1, 1967, in New York City, Sophie Ballantine Hawkins has long stood out as a singer and songwriter who freely mixes disparate musical traditions while revealing deeply personal truths in her work. After her debut album achieved unexpected commercial traction, she chose to pursue her own artistic instincts instead of adhering to directives from major-label executives.
She spent her childhood in a household that prized creativity yet contended with alcoholism, and at that stage she envisioned a future as an English teacher. At fourteen her attention turned to African music, prompting her to take up percussion under the guidance of the acclaimed musician Babatunde Olatunji.
Her abilities soon extended into jazz, where she gained command of marimba and vibraphone alongside drums. Following high school she attended the Manhattan School of Music, exploring world music and jazz while also performing trap drums with the Pink Men and several other rock and pop groups.
Hawkins next began writing songs and singing, and a demo tape reached Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry, who brought her into his touring band for two months on percussion and backing vocals. She sustained herself through temporary work and commercial jingles until an A&R representative at Columbia Records offered her a contract.
Her first album, 1992’s Tongues and Tails, produced by Rick Chertoff and Ralph Schuckett, reflected a broad spectrum of influences—jazz, R&B, pop, rock, and African music—across eleven tracks. The song “Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover” became a major hit, peaking at number five on the Billboard pop charts and helping the album earn both sales and critical praise. That same year she performed Bob Dylan’s “I Want You,” which she had covered on the record, at a celebratory concert marking his thirtieth anniversary as a recording artist.
For her second album, 1994’s Whaler, she worked with producer Steve Lipson. Initial sales proved modest, yet nearly a year after release the single “As I Lay Me Down” climbed into the Top Ten. Hawkins assumed production duties for her third album, Timbre, expanding her instrumental range, but Columbia pressed for changes she would not accept. The record appeared in 1999 in the version she approved, received little promotional support, and led to her departure from the label.
She launched her own Trumpet Swan Productions imprint and issued an expanded edition of Timbre in 2001. While still in negotiations with Columbia she appeared in the documentary The Cream Will Rise, directed by her life partner Gigi Gaston. Subsequent releases on her independent label included Wilderness in 2004 and the live set Bad Kitty Board Mix in 2006. She became a mother in 2008 and returned with the album The Crossing in 2012.
In addition to her music, Hawkins speaks out on behalf of animal rights and environmental causes.
She spent her childhood in a household that prized creativity yet contended with alcoholism, and at that stage she envisioned a future as an English teacher. At fourteen her attention turned to African music, prompting her to take up percussion under the guidance of the acclaimed musician Babatunde Olatunji.
Her abilities soon extended into jazz, where she gained command of marimba and vibraphone alongside drums. Following high school she attended the Manhattan School of Music, exploring world music and jazz while also performing trap drums with the Pink Men and several other rock and pop groups.
Hawkins next began writing songs and singing, and a demo tape reached Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry, who brought her into his touring band for two months on percussion and backing vocals. She sustained herself through temporary work and commercial jingles until an A&R representative at Columbia Records offered her a contract.
Her first album, 1992’s Tongues and Tails, produced by Rick Chertoff and Ralph Schuckett, reflected a broad spectrum of influences—jazz, R&B, pop, rock, and African music—across eleven tracks. The song “Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover” became a major hit, peaking at number five on the Billboard pop charts and helping the album earn both sales and critical praise. That same year she performed Bob Dylan’s “I Want You,” which she had covered on the record, at a celebratory concert marking his thirtieth anniversary as a recording artist.
For her second album, 1994’s Whaler, she worked with producer Steve Lipson. Initial sales proved modest, yet nearly a year after release the single “As I Lay Me Down” climbed into the Top Ten. Hawkins assumed production duties for her third album, Timbre, expanding her instrumental range, but Columbia pressed for changes she would not accept. The record appeared in 1999 in the version she approved, received little promotional support, and led to her departure from the label.
She launched her own Trumpet Swan Productions imprint and issued an expanded edition of Timbre in 2001. While still in negotiations with Columbia she appeared in the documentary The Cream Will Rise, directed by her life partner Gigi Gaston. Subsequent releases on her independent label included Wilderness in 2004 and the live set Bad Kitty Board Mix in 2006. She became a mother in 2008 and returned with the album The Crossing in 2012.
In addition to her music, Hawkins speaks out on behalf of animal rights and environmental causes.
Albums
Whaler Re-Emerging
2025
Silent Night
2020
Betchya Got A Cure
2011
The Best Of Sophie B. Hawkins
2003
Timbre
1999
As I Lay Me Down Deux
1995
Whaler
1994
Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover (30th Anniversary Edition)
1992
Tongues And Tails
1992
Singles
