WESTBROOK — Al Hawkes has officially hung up his iconic red cowboy hat.

The legendary bluegrass musician and longtime Westbrook resident played his last show Sept. 16 for Music With a Mission in Windham. He said he’s decided it’s time to retire.

“I’m 86, that’s not too young,” he said.

Hawkes, who has Parkinson’s Disease and has experienced other health complications recently, said he’s “trying to downsize all of the things I’m doing.” He said he might still perform occasionally as a guest, but won’t have any more shows of his own.

As the end of a career that’s spanned most of his life, his final show last weekend at North Windham Union Church was a hit. Hawkes said he and his band, the Nitehawks, played twice as long as they planned to because of encores.

“It went on for three hours,” he said. “They wouldn’t let us off the stage. It blew my mind.”

Hawkes said it feels good to know people still appreciate his music and want to hear him play. Although he’s done performing, fans still have opportunities to hear from Hawkes. He’s releasing a compilation CD soon, called “Through the Years Instrumentally With Al Hawkes,” as well as two DVDs. One will be the recording of a concert he played in Brunswick a few years ago and the other is a documentary about the walking TV repairman sign at Hawkes Plaza on Route 302. Hawkes built the 13-foot sign in 1962.

Although he worked in electronics and television, Hawkes said his purpose has always been to create music.

“The big man upstairs sent me here to entertain and that’s what I’ve spent my life doing,” he said.

Hawkes started playing the mandolin when he was a teenager, but “never thought of it as a profession.” In high school he formed his first band, The Al Hawkes Hillbillies. He later formed a trio and performed on local radio shows before going on to start his own record label, Event Records. He has released a number of bluegrass albums over the years.

Now that he’s retired, Hawkes said what he’ll miss most is the people. He said he loves feeling connected to an audience.

“I like the enthusiasm of people enjoying the music,” he said. “I see people laughing and clapping and I see that there is something besides sadness in this world.”

The power music can have in people’s lives has always been important to Hawkes, he said.

“I just like people and I like music and I think there’s a great connection,” he said.

Hawkes said making the decision to retire wasn’t easy, but that he wanted to stop performing before his health declined any further.

“I like creating things that make people happy,” he said. “I don’t want to do that if I’m not up to par.”

Hawkes said he’s sometimes still surprised by his age and that he doesn’t feel like someone in their mid-80s. He said he’s never let age or the passing of time rule his life and that he has never worried about monumental birthdays or getting old. He said he’s happy to have lived life with this mindset because it’s kept him young.

“I have a problem with age,” he said. “I don’t remember those (milestone birthdays). I just flew through them playing, living.”

Kate Gardner can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 125 or kgardner@theforecaster.net. Follow her on Twitter: @katevgardner.

Legendary bluegrass musician Al Hawkes, 86, has decided to retire and played his last show Sept. 16 at Music With a Mission in Windham.