Born August 18th 1943. Grammy Award-winning American gospel and R&B musician, pianist, choir leader, composer and arranger. He is one of the originators of the urban contemporary gospel sound. He (and the Edwin Hawkins Singers) are best known for his arrangement of “Oh Happy Day” (1968-69), which was included on the Songs of the Century list. The Edwin Hawkins Singers are somewhat less well-known for backing Melanie one year later on the song, “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)”.

At the age of seven Hawkins was already the keyboardist to accompany the family’s gospel choir. Together with Betty Watson he was the co-founder of the Northern California State Youth Choir, which included almost 50 members. This ensemble recorded its first album Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord at the Ephesian Church of God in Christ in Berkeley, California, hoping to sell 500 copies. “Oh Happy Day” was just one of the eight songs on the album.
When radio stations of the San Francisco Bay area started playing “Oh Happy Day”, it became very popular. Featuring the lead vocal of Dorothy Combs Morrison, the subsequently released single rocketed to sales of over a million copies within two months. It crossed over to the pop charts making U.S. #4 and UK #2 in 1969.

It then became an international success, selling more than 7 million copies worldwide, and Hawkins was awarded his first Grammy for it. Hawkins’ arrangement of the song was eventually covered by The Four Seasons on their 1970 album Half & Half.

Altogether Hawkins has won four Grammy Awards:

* 1970: Best Soul Gospel Performance — “Oh Happy Day”, performed by the Edwin Hawkins Singers;
* 1971: Best Soul Gospel Performance — “Every Man Wants to Be Free”, performed by the Edwin Hawkins Singers;
* 1978: Best Soul Gospel Performance, Contemporary — “Wonderful!”;
* 1993: Best Gospel Choir or Chorus Album — choir director on Edwin Hawkins Music & Arts Seminar Mass Choir – Recorded Live in Los Angeles, performed by the Music & Arts Seminar Mass Choir.

Bio Credits

wikipedia.org