Remembering Texas’ sidesplitting superstarPoised for The Big Time — Big D’s amazing Corwin Hawkins will never be forgotten By DANIEL KUSNER | June 30, 2006 Big D is replete with scintillating drag entertainers. But the amazing Amazing Grace was an unforgettable force of nature. Many Dallasites (like Yours Truly) can vividly recall her razor-sharp wit. On Monday, Aug. 6, 1990, I witnessed Grace blow the roof off The Wave while she cohosted “Calling All Stars,” the nightclub’s $150-jackpot talent search. Grace was the alter ego of Corwin Anthony Hawkins (1965-1994), a Houston native and college cheerleader whom drag empress Tommie Ross ushered into Dallas’ nightclub scene. Hawkins’ repertoire of characters — like Kelly-Kelly, Fanisha Poontane and Miku Waka — were favorites among Dallas club-goers. He also impersonated Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Mariah Carey, Eartha Kitt and, of course, Grace Jones. As an emcee, he was a master improviser. And Grace held audiences’ attention with tailored ensembles, status-symbol purses and expensive shoes. Corwin won many drag contests. And his talent was stand-up comedy — not lip-syncing. In 1991, Amazing Grace snatched the Miss Gay Texas crown He quickly captured two more titles: Texas Entertainer of the Year and National Entertainer of the Year in Louisville, Ky. In the early ’90s, gay-drag rarely crossed over to mainstream fare. (RuPaul didn’t release “Supermodel” until November ’92.) But Hawkins’ comedy was earning accolades outside Oak Lawn. According to drag entertainer and friend Kalexis Davenport (aka Keffus Philips), Hawkins landed two prime-time TV showcases: BET’s “Comic View” and HBO’s “Def Comedy Jam” — as Amazing Grace. These performances caught the eye of a movie producer who worked with the Wayans Brothers, which led to an audition for a role in the 1994 comedy “A Low Down Dirty Shame.” Coincidentally, the “Low Down Dirty” part was originally written for RuPaul... “When Grace got that part, it was a huge deal. Absolutely huge!” Davenport remembers. “Nowadays, Dallas drag queens get bit-parts in movies every once in a while. But this was a big Hollywood movie. And that never happened back then.” In the lackluster comedy about a private investigator — which also starred a young Jada Pinkett — Hawkins’ scenes are the film’s only bright spots. He’s undeniably hilarious as Wayman, the effeminate, sassy roommate of Peaches (Pinkett). For a while, it looked like Hawkins’ star was about to soar.
After shooting “Low Down Dirty Shame,” Hawkins was tapped for a role in the Wayans Brothers’ next project — the 1996 comedy “Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood.” But complications due to AIDS sidelined Hawkins during the film’s preproduction schedule. Sadly, Grace was unable to enjoy the Nov. 23, 1994, “Low Down Dirty Shame” premiere. He died of pneumonia at Baylor University Medical Center on Aug. 5, 1994.
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