Hawkins was born in
Belfast,
Northern Ireland but now lives in a rural part of
France and sang in cover bands for 20 years before she began creating original material. Hawkins has released 6 studio albums, two EPs (no longer available), and three live albums (one no longer available). She has also released one compilation album exclusively on vinyl. Upon signing with
Dixiefrog Records, an anthology of her back catalogue called
My Life and I, was released. A seventeen track CD and double vinyl was released in 2022. In 2023
Until We Meet Again (2023) and Live In Brezoi (I) (2024) was also released on the Dixiefrog label. In 2025 A French documentary called
"My Life And You" that was made about Hawkins early traumatic years by
France Televisions was released and is now currently streaming online by
France.TV. This production was produced by French film company Oxymore in partnership with Festival Éclats d'Émail Jazz in
Limoges, France where Hawkins now lives. Collaborations with other artists have helped her enter other genres. The latest in July 2024 with English DJ
Craig Charles featuring Hawkins song "Shake" on his album
Trunk Of Funk Volume 3 (2024). In January 2024 a duet called "
A Place Like Home" with French soul artist Thomas Kahn
. In December 2023 Hawkins featured on a gospel single "
Life Is A Road" with Italian duo Superdownhome. In 2019, she featured on French
house &
funk Dj Eugène de Rastignac's single "''Won't You Save My Sou
l" released on SPACE PARTY Records. In 2020, On The Little Island'' was released as a duet with German composer Mathis Richter-Reichhelm (
Swimming The Nile) on Early-Bird Records in Germany. Hawkins was invited to
Florence Academy of Art in
Alabama, to join in a various artists album
Something In The Water, to help highlight children not having access to arts in Alabama. The album included one of the original
Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section,
David Hood and musicians Clayton Ivey and Will McFarlane - supporting a line up of international artists covering songs recorded in Alabama. In April 2022, Hawkins was given the honorable title of
Godmother of the oldest blues festival in France. Cahors Blues Festival asked her permission in front of gathered press at the launch of the 40th anniversary of the festival. She accepted the honour of 'Marraine du festival'. She joined
Grammy Award winning
Christone "Kingfish" Ingram,
Popa Chubby and
Kirk Fletcher as festival headliners in July 2022, in the town of
Cahors, France. Hawkins has regularly been invited by the Irish composer and
Golden Globe nominee Brian Byrne, to perform in Ireland and
Los Angeles on his compositions. She joined an international cast including
Fra Fee,
Joe Rooney,
Adele King, as well as a 70-member choir, and the
RTÉ Concert Orchestra for the launch of the production of
Angel of Broadway in Dublin. In 2017, Hawkins reached the semi-finals of The
Blues Foundation International Blues Challenge which then led to her winning the European Blues Challenge in
Horsens,
Denmark representing the
United Kingdom. It was the first time the UK had an artist win at the challenge, beating 21 countries. In the same year, Hawkins began presenting a blues show on
BBC Radio Ulster, called
Kaz Hawkins Got The Blues, produced by
Ralph McLean. As of 2024, a total of nine series have been recorded by Hawkins for
BBC Radio. ==Awards==