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Justin Hawkins is a musician/singer-songwriter, best known as front man and lead guitarist of British glam rock band The Darkness. Prior to The Darkness, Justin and his brother Dan were members of a synth-pop outfit called Empire. After a New Year's Eve karaoke performance of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," the Hawkins...More

Justin Hawkins is a musician/singer-songwriter, best known as front man and lead guitarist of British glam rock band The Darkness. Prior to The Darkness, Justin and his brother Dan were members of a synth-pop outfit called Empire. After a New Year's Eve karaoke performance of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," the Hawkins brothers formed The Darkness with bassist Frankie Poullain and drummer Ed Graham.

The Darkness released their debut album, Permission to Land (Warner Bros), in 2003, which went on to sell over three million copies, backed by the singles "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" and "Growing on Me." The band also won three Brit Awards for Best Group, Best Rock Group and Best Album in 2004. The Darkness released their second album, One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back (Warner Bros), in November 2005.

The following year, Justin Hawkins completed a rehab program for drugs and alcohol, and departed The Darkness. He also formed a new project, Hot Leg, which released their debut album, Red Light Fever, in 2008. Hawkins has been featured on albums by Meat Loaf, Def Leppard, and Steel Panther; produced Saving Aimee's debut, We're the Good Guys; and played Screaming Lord Sutch in the Joe Meek biopic Telstar.

In March 2011, The Darkness reunited with all four original band members and released their third album, Hot Cakes (Wind Up), on August 21, 2012. The band embarked on several tours to support the album, and was also the opening act for the European and African leg of Lady Gaga's The Born This Way Ball.