Born in Creston, Iowa, Hawk began his career by reading poetry on the radio in Chicago.

Before he was a high school graduate, his mother had entered him in 20 state and local competitions; young Hawk won 19 of them.

[2] Hawk was one of the first people to use a disc jockey format on radio when, in 1927, he began making jokes, commenting about records, and interviewing performers on the air at a station in Chicago.

[1] His programs included:[1] In 1949, The Bob Hawk Show moved to Hollywood from Chicago, then a central broadcasting hub with 22 radio stations.

Hawk failed to make the move to television, and in 1952, he was quoted in Time: "Why should I beat my brains out in TV when radio is paying so well?"