Corwin Hawkins

Corwin Anthony Hawkins was born in Houston, Texas on March 12, 1965. He attended St. Peter's Catholic School and graduated in 1982. Corwin was well known throughout Texas for his hilarious two hour stand up comedy routine which he performed in front of standing room only crowds every Tuesday night for four years. His many memorable characters like: Kelly Kelly, Debra Debra, Fanisha Poontane and Miku Waka were favorites to the Dallas natives, he also impersonated many famous stars like Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Mariah Carey and of course Grace Jones. While every performance was totally improvised he held the attention of the audience with many wardrobe changes of beautiful dresses and expensive shoes. As Amazing Grace, Hawkins went against the grain with wardrobe. Opting against the traditional long, flowing, evening gown that was prevalent to many female impersonators of the day, Amazing Grace was known for her immaculate Bob hairstyle, Chanel two-piece suits, and Ferragamo shoes. The look was less pageant queen, and more 'ladies who lunch'. Yet the look was a clever contrast to the wild, untamed fireball comedy that would unfold over the course of a show. If you were lucky enough to get a table near the front you can be sure to be brought up on stage as a prop for the rest of the night. You would be held prisoner to his wild and zany antics and may be forced to sing, dance or even talk you into taking off your clothes to the delight of everyone. Many famous people who attended his shows while they were visiting Dallas included Keith Carradine, Lucy Arnaz and Grace Jones to name a few. Corwin won many female impersonator competitions. In 1991, as Amazing Grace, was crowned Miss Gay Texas. The next year he took the title of Texas Entertainer of the Year and went on to capture the 1992 National Entertainer of the Year title in Louisville, Kentucky. Corwin was discovered by Keenan Ivory Wayans while appearing on Def Comedy Jam, B.E.T. and HBO Comedy specials. Corwin accepted the role of (Wayman), a part originally written for Ms. RuPaul. He was also awarded an invitational tryout at the L. A. Improv. Corwin passed away on August 5, 1994 at Baylor Hospital in Dallas Texas of Pneumonia. He was 29 years old.