Leslie Hawkins

American vocalist.

Member of “The Williettes”, backing vocal ensemble for [a=Wet Willie], and [a3862029] the backing vocal ensemble for [a=Lynyrd Skynyrd] from December 1975 to October 20, 1977, when she was seriously injured in the plane crash that killed three band members. Hawkins suffered a concussion, three cervical fractures, and facial injuries that required plastic surgery. She was partially paralyzed and suffered permanent neurological damage.After her recovery, for a short time was a lead singer for Jackson Deville and toured briefly with Molly Hatchet in 1996. However, she has never fully recovered from her injuries and remains largely retired. In 2005, she performed several times as "The Honkettes" in an "alternative version of Lynyrd Skynyrd" that also included former Skynyrd members Ed King, Artimus Pyle and JoJo Billingsley that helped to raise money for Katrina victims. On March 13, 2006, Leslie Hawkins and JoJo Billingsley performed with Lynyrd Skynyrd for only the third time since the 1977 plane crash. The first being the videotaped performance at Charlie Daniels' 1979 Volunteer Jam (shown in the VH-1 "Behind The Music" profile on Skynyrd), at the opening of "Freebird The Movie" at Atlanta's Fox Theatre in 1995, and singing "Sweet Home Alabama" at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at which Skynyrd was honored.