Hawkes was born in 1965 in Australia at Lake Maquarie, Newcastle. He learned to play guitar from an old waterlogged guitar nicknamed "The Paddle" named so because his father had got drunk one night out on the lake when he was young and used it as a paddle to get home.
On his return from Tasmania he completed a degree in pure mathematics from the University of Newcastle and moved to the Australian Capital Territory the following year.
He is best known for his ability to compose music from many different genres. He has recorded over 1200 recordings covering a wide range of different genres of music He learned guitar by listening to old vinyl recordings, citing his early influences as Blues legend Robert Johnson and English guitarist Davey Graham.
Hawkes started playing electric slide guitar in Chicago style blues bands gigging at clubs and pubs in and around Lake Maquarie and Newcastle city at the age of 17, and was soon invited to perform as a session musician across Australia.
In his early 20"s Hawkes relocated to Tasmania, where he trained as a luthier. In the mid-1990s he recorded his debut album, Secrets Vows and Lies, with English folk violinist Dave Swarbrick guesting on a few tracks.
The album was released by Festival Records, and was critically well received. Following the release Pete embarked on an Australian tour during in which he supported bands and artists such as Steeleye Spanish and Bert Jansch, but the tour was largely unsuccessful and Pete, despondent decided to move to London.
Secrets Vows and Lies was released in the United Kingdom by Select Records with more success and Hawkes started playing in small clubs and hotels throughout the United Kingdom. He then moved to Russia where he lived in Street St. Petersburg for several months, playing Jazz with local Russian and Romani musicians.
Hawkes left Russia via the Transport-Siberian Railway. In Beijing he became involved in the underground Jazz developments in the city. Playing in venues like the "East-Shore Jazz Club" he encouraged many Chinese musicians to play Jazz rather than traditional material.
Jazz was, however, not accepted by the Communist Party of China, and Hawkes was asked by the local authorities to return to Australia.
After returning to Australia, Hawkes released more recordings, including Unspoken Riddles, Melancholy Cello (inspired by Russian music), Double Diversity, considered now a landmark album of its time. Hawkes then started to focus on composing and arranging music
In 2009 he released an extended gothic rock album, The Lost Souls Entwined with electric guitarist Philosophy Emmanuel. (the elder brother of Tommy Emmanuel), featuring Hawkes on slide guitar and Emmanuel"s on lead guitar.
In more recent years Hawkes has continued to write and compose various musical works, including concerti for viola and cello, Celtic music with flugelhorn, and even acid jazz.
Pete Hawkes is known for innovation and melding of different musical styles such that they have been subject to features in well known music magazines such as"Acoustic guitar magazine".
