Walter Hawkins, American gospel music singer ("Oh Happy Day"),has died from pancreatic cancer he was 61,

Walter Hawkins was an award-winning American gospel music singer, and a pastor Walter hawkins. Hawkins was consecrated to the bishopic in 1992. He died at his home in Ripon, California, from pancreatic cancer he was 61.

Walter Hawkins was the brother of Edwin Hawkins, Daniel Hawkins (Marcia), Feddie Hawkins, Carole Hawkins and Lynette Hawkins-Stephens. Bishop Hawkins was married to Tramaine Hawkins, they had two children, a son Walter "Jamie" Hawkins, Jr., who is married to Myiia "Sunny" Davis-Hawkins, and a daughter Trystan Hawkins. Bishop Hawkins also had a granddaughter, Jahve Hawkins, and a grandson, Jamie Daniel Hawkins.

Bishop Hawkins started his career in one of his brother's chorales, "The Northern California State Youth Choir" of the Church of God in Christ. Later, he accompanied his brother Edwin and founded The Edwin Hawkins Singers. This collaborative effort produced the hit song "Oh Happy Day", which became one of the first gospel songs to cross over onto mainstream music charts.

Walter Hawkins left The Edwin Hawkins Singers in the early 1970s to establish the Love Center Church in Oakland, California. He and his Love Center Choir had considerable success with their "Love Alive" series of recordings, which sold well over a million copies from the 1970s through the 1990s. "Love Alive IV", released in 1990, was #1 on the Billboard Gospel Album charts, where it stayed for 33 weeks. In all, Walter Hawkins produced and/or collaborated on 116 hit songs which were listed on the Billboard Gospel Music charts.

Walter Hawkins and his groups were frequent musical collaborators, and recorded with Van Morrison, Diahann Carroll, Sylvester (singer), Jeffrey Osborne, among many others.

(May 18, 1949 – July 11, 2010)

Discography

Albums

• Do Your Best - Solo Album (1972)
• Love Alive - Love Center Choir (1975)
• Jesus Christ Is the Way - The Hawkins Family (Light, 1977)
• Love Alive 2 - Love Center Choir (Light, 1978)
• The Hawkins Family Live (Light, 1980)
• Gospel (Savoy, 1982
• I Feel Like Singing - Solo Album (Light, 1983)
• Love Alive 3 - Love Center Choir (Light, 1984)
• Special Gift - Hawkins Family (Light, 1988)
• Love Alive 4 - Love Center Choir (Malaco, 1990)
• New Dawning - Hawkins Family (Bellmark, 1996)
• Love Alive, Vol. 5: 25th Anniversary Reunion 1 - Love Center Choir (Interscope, 1998)
• Take Courage - Hawkins Family (Bellmark, 2000)
• A Song In My Heart - Solo Album (Coda/Red-Sony, 2005)

Compilation albums

• The Lord's Prayer (featuring various guest artists; duet with Tramaine Hawkins on the song, "Thy Kingdom Come") (Light, 1980)
• Only The Best (Light, 1990)
• Light Years (Polygram, 1995)
• The Hawkins Family Collection (Platinum, 1995)
• The Best of Love Alive (Light, 2002)
• Legends of Gospel (Light, 2002)
• Mega 3 Collection: Love Alive (Light, 2002)
• The Very Best of Walter Hawkins and the Hawkins Family (Artemis Gospel, 2005)

Filmography

• Gospel (1982)
• Oh Happy Day (1983)
• Love Alive, Vol. 4 (Malaco, 1991)
• Walter Hawkins & The Hawkins Family (Monterey Video, 1998)
• Love Alive, Vol. 5: 25th Anniversary Reunion, Vol. 1 (Interscope, 1998)
• Love Alive, Vol. 5: 25th Anniversary Reunion, Vol. 2 (Interscope, 1999)
• Song in My Heart (Coda, 2006)

Quick Facts

• Walter Hawkins won three Dove Awards (awarded by the Gospel Music Association).
• He was nominated for nine Grammy awards, and won a 1981 Grammy Award in the category of Best Gospel Performance, Contemporary or Inspirational for "The Lord's Prayer".
• He wrote and produced an album for his sister Lynette, entitled Baby Sis, released in 1987 on Birthright Records.
• He wrote and sang solo (later joined in duet by Frank Williams) on the popular Mississippi Mass Choir song '"Hold On Old Soldier,"' from the recording "It Remains to be Seen...", released in 1993 on Malaco Records.
• He won two Stellar Awards in the categories of Traditional Male Vocalist of the Year and Traditional CD of the Year for his solo album A Song In My Heart.
• He performed a duet with Donald Lawrence and the Tri-City Singers on the popular song entitled "Seasons", from their 2002 recording "Go Get Your Life Back."

To see more of who died in 2010 click here