Justin David Hawkins, born on March 17, 1975, is a talented English musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer and lead guitarist of the popular rock band The Darkness, alongside his brother Dan Hawkins, bass player Frankie Poullain, and drummer Rufus Taylor.
Although born in Surrey, Hawkins hails from Lowestoft. He began his music career by playing clubs and pubs with The Darkness, alongside founding members Dan, Poullain, and drummer Ed Graham. The band's debut album, Permission to Land, was released on July 7, 2003, and it went straight to number two in the UK charts. The album eventually reached number one and stayed there for four weeks, selling an impressive 1.5 million copies in the UK and 3.5 million copies worldwide.
The success of Permission to Land led to heavy touring for the band, including European portions of Metallica's Summer Sanitarium Tour 2003. They also headlined the Carling Festival in 2004. The band's achievements did not go unnoticed, as they won three BRIT Awards in 2004 for Best Group, Best Rock Group, and Best Album. They also took home two Kerrang! awards for Best Live Act and Best British Band. Hawkins even appeared in the video "Band Aid 20," where he sang several lines.
However, by late 2004, the band's constant media coverage began to take a toll, and Hawkins and the band themselves seemed to become disillusioned with their constant media appearances. The backlash was evident, and the band's popularity started to wane.
The Darkness released their second album, One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back!, on November 28, 2005. The album was produced by renowned rock producer Roy Thomas Baker, known for his work with Queen. Although the album received mixed reviews, it debuted at number 11 on the UK Albums Chart and eventually achieved platinum status. However, this was a far cry from the success of their debut album, which had sold five times as many copies.
By the time One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back! was released, Poullain had left the band, and he was replaced by Richie Edwards.
