Screamin' Jay Hawkins

Screamin' Jay Hawkins was a Cleveland-born blues singer and pianist who began his music career in the 1950s after a stint as a boxer. His 1956 recording of "I Put a Spell on You" became his signature song, featuring his wild, operatic vocal style that was unlike anything in blues or R&B at the time. Hawkins continued performing his theatrical brand of blues for five decades until his death in 2000.