We Are Family! Sort Of!

The late voodoo soul singer Screamin’ Jay Hawkins once boasted of having fathered more than 75 children around the world. When none of them showed up at his funeral in Paris last year, biographer Maral Nigolian searched for them via the Internet (www.jayskids.com)--an effort, she insists, that turned up around 35 of the “Hawkins 75.” On the first anniversary of Hawkins’ death from a brain aneurysm at age 70, Nigolian brought a few of the more bona fide siblings together at the House of Blues for the first gathering of Jay’s Kids.

IRENE HAWKINS

Occupation: Puppeteer, Cleveland

Born: Dec. 14, 1951, Cleveland

How do you know he’s your father? He was married to my mother. We lived with him. We didn’t see him every day, but every year he would come back and stay awhile.

Share any characteristics? I can make puppets and make them do anything I want. He told me he made Henry, the skull on the stick, but he wouldn’t tell me how.

What was it like finding out about the others? Wonderful. If my father had any idea that we would all get along, he would have been the luckiest man on earth.

Any cherished memories? He came to live with me for about three weeks in 1985 in Cleveland. He spoiled the hell out of my kids.

If you could tell him anything now, what would it be? How much I love him and miss him.

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JANICE PARIS

Occupation: Machine operator, Newburgh, N.Y.

Born: Aug. 28, 1955, Philadelphia

How do you know he’s your father? He was there when I was born till I was 1, and then [my mother] got tired of his philandering. The next [and last] time I saw him, I was 11. I went to see him perform.

Share any characteristics? I can be stubborn. A lot of people say I can sing.

When did you find out about the others? When I was corresponding with him, he [once] said he had 57 children. After he died, I kept hearing about these children, but I don’t think it’s more than 12.

Do you resent your father? I had a very good childhood. My mom remarried when I was 13, but even when there wasn’t a man in the household, I didn’t lack for anything. My relatives didn’t give me time to miss him.

Any cherished memories? The last years before he died, we corresponded and he said he wanted to come stateside and see me, but he never made it.

If you could tell him anything now, what would it be? That regardless of him not being a part of my life, I still love him.

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MELISSA AHUNA

Occupation: Nurse and manager of hotel gift shop, Hilo, Hawaii

Born: June 6, 1968, Honolulu

How do you know he’s your father? He visited my house all the time [while I was] growing up.

Share any characteristics? Meeting my sisters for the first time yesterday, I definitely do. We are all very strong-minded women.

When did you find out about the others? When Maral put up that site. I was a little shocked, but I’m very open-minded.

Do you resent your father? No.

Any cherished memories? Him coming to my house and me always wanting to ride in the limousine that he got dropped off in.

Did you? Never did.

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COLETTE HOWARD

Occupation: Occupational safety inspector, Cincinnati

Born: April 6, 1953, Cleveland

How do you know he’s your father? My mother was a vaudeville dancer who opened up most of his acts. She met him in Cleveland in 1952. In 1953, I was born.

How did you find out? I came home from school one day and he was on the “Merv Griffin Show,” and Mom said, “I want you to watch this show.” And when he came out of the coffin [that was part of his stage show], she said, “This is your dad.”

Share any characteristics? My features. But I would also say the willfulness to do whatever I want to do.

How did you feel when you discovered the others? The sisters that are with me tonight can talk about those one or two years when they were face to face and he touched their lives. I didn’t have that experience and so I do get a little angry.

Any cherished memories? It’s a movie [he was in], “Mystery Train.” That gave me so much insight, just looking at him, seeing myself in him.

If you could tell him anything now, what would it be? That he did it all wrong.