Edwin Hawkins



Edwin Reuben Hawkins (born August 18, 1943, Oakland, California) is an American gospel musician, pianist, choir master, composer, and arranger. He is one of the originators of the urban contemporary gospel sound. He (as leader of the Edwin Hawkins Singers) is probably 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 made a second foray into the charts exactly one year later, backing folk singer Melanie on "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)".

Biography
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 of the Church of God in Christ, which included almost fifty 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 privately (on the Century 70 custom label), hoping to sell 500 copies. "Oh Happy Day" was just one of the eight songs on the album. (The soloists in the album were Elaine Kelly, Margarette Branch, Dorothy Combs Morrison, Tramaine Davis, Reuben Franklin, Donald Cashmere, Betty Watson, and Ruth Lyons.)

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 (on the newly created Pavilion label distributed by Buddah) rocketed to sales of over a million copies within two months. It crossed over to the pop charts making U.S. No. 4, UK No. 2, No. 2 on the Irish Singles Chart, and No. 1 on the German Singles Charts 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.

Their second Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 charts was the 1970 Melanie single "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)," on which the label listed the performers as Melanie with The Edwin Hawkins Singers. The song peaked at #6 in the U.S. In the 1992 movie Leap of Faith, Hawkins was the choir master for the gospel songs.

Albums

 * 1968: Let Us Go into the House of the Lord
 * 1969: He's A Friend Of Mine
 * 1969: Oh Happy Day (Buddah Records re-issue of previous 1968 LP)
 * 1969: Jesus, Lover of My Soul
 * 1969: Hebrew Boys
 * 1969: Lord Don't Move That Mountain
 * 1969: Ain't It Like Him
 * 1970: Live at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam
 * 1970: Candles in the Rain with Melanie Safka
 * 1970: Pray For Peace
 * 1971: More Happy Days
 * 1971: Try the Real Thing with Melanie Safka
 * 1972: Peace Is Blowin' In The Wind
 * 1972: Children Get Together
 * 1973: I'd Like To Teach the World To Sing
 * 1974: New World
 * 1975: Edwin Hawkins Presents the Matthews Sisters
 * 1976: Wonderful
 * 1977: The Comforter
 * 1979: Edwin Hawkins Live at the Symphony
 * 1981: Edwin Hawkins Live With The Oakland Symphony Orchestra
 * 1982: Imagine Heaven
 * 1982: Edwin Hawkins Live With The Oakland Symphony Orchestra & The Love Center Choir Volume II
 * 1983: Edwin Hawkins presents The Music and Arts Seminar Mass Choir
 * 1984: Angels Will Be Singing with the Music and Arts Seminar Mass Choir
 * 1985: Have Mercy with the Music and Arts Seminar Mass Choir
 * 1987: Give Us Peace with the Music and Arts Seminar Mass Choir
 * 1988: That Name with the Music and Arts Seminar Mass Choir
 * 1990: Face to Face
 * 1995: Anything is Possible
 * 1998: Love Is the Only Way

Compilations

 * 1989: 18 Great Songs
 * 1998: The Very Best Of

Awards and honors
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

In 2007, Hawkins was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame and attended the formal awards show in 2009.