Edwin Hawkins

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Edwin Hawkins
Background information
Born	August 18, 1943
Origin	Oakland, California
Genre(s)	gospel music
Occupation(s)	singer, songwriter, producer
Instrument(s)	vocals, keyboards
Years active	1960s-1990s
Label(s)	Pavilion Records Buddah Records Birthright Records Myrrh Records Lection Records Fixit Records
Associated acts	Walter Hawkins Tramaine Hawkins Andrae Crouch

Edwin Hawkins (born August 18, 1943 in Oakland, California) is a Grammy Award-winning American gospel and R&B musician, pianist, choir leader, composer and arranger. He is one of the originators of the 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 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 in 1968, Let us go into the House of the Lord, which was more or less a flop. When radio stations of the San Francisco Bay area started broadcasting a song from the album, "Oh Happy Day", it became very popular. Featuring the lead vocal of Dorothy Coombs Morrison, the subsequently released 7" single rocketed to sales of over a million copies within two months. It crossed over to the pop charts making US #4 and UK #2 in 1969.

The song became an international success, selling more than 7 million copies, and Hawkins was awarded his first Grammy for it. Altogether he 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.