The legendary Al Hawkes’ ‘Song of Westbrook’ is proclaimed the community’s official song.

When Al Hawkes, the 84-year-old country and bluegrass music legend, received a call from Westbrook City Hall last weekend, asking for his presence at Monday’s City Council meeting, he didn’t know what to expect.

“I was definitely surprised,” he said Tuesday, after being presented a proclamation Monday declaring his recent single, “Song of Westbrook,” as the official song of the city of Westbrook.

“Song of Westbrook” was recorded in Hawkes’ studio, located in the basement of his Westbrook home, about a year ago and is included on a new album of 17 tracks called “I Love the State of Maine,” released in December. Each song was written about places or features distinctive to the state. While recording the Westbrook song, Hawkes contacted the Westbrook School Department and invited students from the Westbrook Middle School Chorus to sing on the track.

He said he wrote the song as a tribute to his longtime home, but didn’t expect it to be named the official song of the city.

“I thought maybe they were going to thank me for doing the song,” he said. “But, I had no idea it would be an official proclamation.”

Hawkes has written, recorded and performed for more than five decades, and has received more than 30 regional and national awards for old time country and bluegrass music. In 2008, he was recognized as a First Generation Bluegrass Pioneer by the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, Ky. He’s also a member of the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame.

After he received the honor Monday, the middle school students stood with Hawkes behind the podium in the City Council chambers.

“We had such an experience in the studio,” he said. “I want to thank you very much for bestowing this upon me.”

The city has Hawkes’ permission to use the song for official advertisements and other uses. It was all smiles when a video of the song was played for the City Council. The chorus chimes, “You can find my heart in Westbrook, Maine. No other town is quite the same.”

Colleen Hilton, Westbrook’s mayor, said Wednesday that the proclamation was made for a number of reasons, calling the song a “stunning tribute to the community.”

She said city officials had been brainstorming new ways to market Westbrook, and the song provided a perfect combination.

“From someone with his stature and age to express so beautifully in music his love of this community, it just struck me as something we needed to do more with,” she said.

Hilton added that the song also encompasses multiple generations, a tradition of music in Westbrook, and involves a well-known local couple.

Al Hawkes’ wife, Barbara Hawkes, served as Westbrook city clerk for 14 years, and on Monday, was chatting with city officials prior to the official announcement.

Hawkes has had Parkinson’s disease for about 15 years, but the symptoms don’t keep him from writing and recording music. Recently, he said, he thought about officially retiring from music, but his bandmates, and even his doctor, convinced him otherwise.

“It’s a defect of the nervous system, and doctors have found that music helps calm the nervous system,” he said.

All the proceeds from his new album are being donated to the Maine Parkinson Society.

While his age might cause him to think twice about hitting the road for country and bluegrass festivals in North Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee, the itch to play is always there. In January, Hawkes made a surprise appearance at the Frog & Turtle restaurant in Westbrook, which hosts a weekly blues night.

“I do blues, but it’s hillbilly blues and country blues,” he said.

Needless to say, Frog & Turtle customers went wild. Hawkes said he’d like to turn it into a monthly occurrence.

James Tranchemontagne, the owner of the Frog & Turtle, said Wednesday that he’s been blessed with musicians like Hawkes and Tony Boffa playing music at his restaurant.

“It was so cool to see how many musicians there knew who he was and had the upmost respect for him,” he said about Hawkes’ surprise visit. “He just came to watch, and we said, ‘You have to get up there and do a song.’”

Hawkes has other projects in the works. This summer, he’ll release a two-hour performance DVD from a 2011 concert in Brunswick with his band, the Nitehawks.

He also stays busy in his studio. He still does work for a few record labels, receiving old master tapes and using new software to remove scratches and other imperfections to improve sound.

His penchant for collecting music began a long time ago, and continued as he began his own radio broadcasting career while in high school. After graduating, he attended the Massachusetts Radio and Broadcasting School and had an FCC broadcast license.

During the Korean War, Hawkes was stationed in Tripoli with the Air National Guard, and after learning that now-rare 16-inch records were destined to be thrown away, he found a way to ship about 800 of them home to Maine.

Hawkes’ television business is also responsible for an iconic sign on Route 302, just down the road from his home.

Jackie Harmon, the president of the Down East Country Music Association of Maine, said Wednesday that Hawkes’ place in country music is solidified, in the state and also nationally.

“He’s one of our pioneers, and a hall of famer,” she said. “He’s a great man and great musician.”

Speaking about those who convinced him to keep playing music, Hawkes said, “They said, ‘Don’t give it up’ and ‘Keep playing music,’ so I guess I’ll be around a little bit longer.”

Westbrook country and bluegrass legend Al Hawkes plays his instrument of choice, the mandolin, at his home in Westbrook Tuesday. Hawkes’ song about Westbrook was named the official song of the city.Staff photo by Andrew RicePictured here in 1946, Hawkes was still in high school, but had already begun to play the guitar and showed an interest in radio broadcasting.Hawkes pictured tuning up before a concert in 2008Hawkes accepts an official proclamation for his “Song of Westbrook” Monday, accompanied by students from Westbrook Middle School who provided backing vocals on the tune.