Edwin Hawkins

Edwin Hawkins (born 18 August 1943, Oakland, California) is a Grammy Award-winning American gospel and R&B musician, pianist, choir master, 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 made a second foray into the charts a year later, backing folk singer Melanie on "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 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 Coombs Morrison, Trumaine 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. #4 and UK #2 and #1 in 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.

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;
• 1972: On April 30, 1972, on scene of Oude Rai in Amsterdam, Edwin Hawkins Singers sing " Oh happy day " accompanied with a group of French children " The POPPYS " in front of 5000 persons;
• 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.

Paul Anka's duet partner Odia Coates was also a member of the Edwin Hawkins Singers.