Jess Hawk Oakenstar Collection

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Read the finding aid for the Jess Hawk Oakenstar Collection processed between 2020-2024.

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BIOGRAPHY

Jess Hawk Oakenstar (1957-2022) was a beloved lesbian feminist musician. Jess was born in Harare, Zimbabwe. She began playing the guitar at 10-years-old. She went to college in South Africa where her mother was from. After graduating she worked as an entertainer in hotels and resorts. She moved to England for two years where she worked in a girls' school under harsh conditions and then moved to New Zealand in 1980 to join her father. 

Jess lived in New Zealand for 10 years performing and touring as singer/songwriter. In that time she often played with Hilary King and with the band Red Beryl. 

In 1990 she worked her passage to the U.S. on a German freighter swabbing the deck. Upon first moving to the United States, Jess attended the 1990 Arizona Women's Music Festival. When a six-piece women's band from Australia could not make it to headline the festival, Jess joked, "Well it only takes one New Zealander to make up for six Aussies." Dianne Post, the organizer of the Festival, found her comment so funny she asked Jess to take their place as lead performer. Dianne became Jess’s agent and eventually her partner and booked Jess for shows around the country. 

From 1990-1996 Jess toured constantly, both nationally and internationally as a singer/songwriter Jess made two critically acclaimed albums – "Your Heart Will Show You" and "Leave a Little Light Behind," which were produced by Jeff Dayton, band leader for Glen Campbell. Jess became a national songwriter finalist at the renowned Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville, Texas, and her music was heard on over 100 US radio stations including the syndicated 'River City Folk' and 'The Songbag'. She was also featured on 'A Love Worth Fighting For', a compilation album which included such artists as Janis Ian and Ani DiFranco.

After her move to Phoenix, Arizona in 1996, Jess began working for the Scottsdale Public Library where she would work for the next 18 years. She brought her music to the library and her work in Youth Services. At the library, Jess met Kate DeLaPointe, a singer-songwriter and they started a duo called Wayward Maggie. Michele Michaels became their manager and they performed across the state. They produced an album called "Rare Delights" in 2008 and performed up until April of 2021. Their last work was a series of six live music videos called Start Your Day With a Song, for Scottsdale Senior Services that were posted weekly on Facebook during the COVID lockdown. 

Jess Hawk died of cancer on April 27, 2022 surrounded by her partner Dianne, her best friends, and her community.