Chesney Lee Hawkes is an English pop singer, songwriter, and occasional actor. He started his career at the age of 19, when he appeared in the film Buddy's Song, which featured his best known single "The One and Only", which topped the UK Singles Chart for five weeks and reached the Top 10 in the United States. Two years later, Hawkes released "What's Wrong With This Picture?", which reached number 63. He collaborated with Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne for the single "Stay Away Baby Jane", which reached number 74. He released his single "Another Fine Mess" in 2005, which reached number 48. Hawkes also appeared in the musical Can't Smile Without You, as the role of Tony Lowiman. Aside from music, he also appeared on Channel 4's The Games in 2005, winning a Bronze Medal. Hawkes appeared on the shows Hit Me Baby One More Time, Let's Dance For Comic Relief, and Sing If You Can.
Life and career
Hawkes was born in Windsor, Berkshire. He was named after the singer and comedian Chesney Allen. His father is the singer Len 'Chip' Hawkes, formerly with the 1960s band The Tremeloes. His mother is former actress/game-show hostess Carol Dilworth, who appeared in an episode of the 1960s version of Randall and Hopkirk called "For The Girl Who Has Everything", as well as the 1969 horror filmThe Haunted House of Horror. Keely Hawkes, his sister, was the lead singer of 1990s band Transister, and is currently a songwriter based in Los Angeles. He attended Charters School in Sunningdale. Hawkes's career began at 19, when he appeared as the title character in the film Buddy's Song. In March 1991, he released his biggest single "The One and Only" from the film's soundtrack, on which his younger brother, Jodie, was the drummer. Written by Nik Kershaw, the song was later featured in the opening credits of Doc Hollywood, starring Michael J. Fox; in the 2009 movie Moon, as the song Sam Rockwell wakes up to every morning; and again in the 2011 film Source Code as the mobile phone ringtone of Michelle Monaghan's character. The single spent five weeks at No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart. He has released eight singles including "I'm a Man Not a Boy" and "Another Fine Mess". In 1993, his single "What's Wrong With This Picture?" reached number 63 in the UK, and his 2002 collaboration with Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne, "Stay Away Baby Jane", reached number 74 in the UK Singles Chart. Hawkes returned to the media's attention with his involvement in Channel 4's The Games in March 2005, in which he won a Bronze Medal. He also took part in the ITV programme Hit Me Baby One More Time in April that year. He released a single called "Another Fine Mess" in May 2005, it reached number 48. The following album of the same title featured fifteen songs written by Hawkes. Hawkes was involved in a project called the Lexus Symphony Orchestra, a corporate promotion designed to showcase the quality of Lexus' in-car audio systems. Hawkes composed two original pieces of music performed by the London Symphony Orchestra for these events held at Castle Howard and Crystal Palace, in August 2007. Hawkes appeared in a musical, Can't Smile Without You. In the show, Hawkes plays the part of Tony Lowiman who falls in love with a girl called Mandy when he visits New York. Things take a turn for the worse when Tony is brutally attacked one night outside a club. The musical includes over 40 Barry Manilow songs. National tour started at the Liverpool Empire Theatre on 15 September 2008, prior to performances in the West End. Hawkes appeared briefly in a cherry picker on Celebrity Big Brother on Channel 4. "The One and Only" was used as a cue to have contestants worship at a Chesney Hawkes shrine. In January 2011, Hawkes performed at the live finale of Louie Spence's Showbusiness. During February and March 2011, he took part in the BBC series Let's Dance For Comic Relief. He now performs a mixture of his own material and covers at University Freshers week. In May that year, Hawkes took part in the ITV series Sing If You Can. In September, he appeared as Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. On 24 December 2011, he appeared on the ITV programme Text Santa with Ant & Dec. Hawkes was due to take part on ITV's skating programme Dancing on Ice in 2012 but after fracturing his ankle, he had to pull out. He was replaced by Chico Slimani. In May, he played at Lakefest festival. In December, he appeared as an accident-prone version of himself in the ITV comedy drama Panto!. In 2015, Hawkes competed in Celebrity MasterChef on BBC One. He was eliminated in the first of the semi-finals of the show.
Personal life
Entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne is a fan, and Hawkes performed as a surprise at his birthday party. Hawkes lives in Chertsey with his American wife Kristina and their three children.
