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Walter Hawkins (May 18, 1949 — July 11, 2010) was an American gospel music singer. Hawkins was born in Oakland, California and died at his home in Ripon, California, from pancreatic cancer.

Walter Hawkins was the brother of Edwin Hawkins, Daniel Hawkins, Feddie Hawkins-Smith and Lynette Hawkins-Stephens. With Tramaine Hawkins, he had two children: son Walter "Jamie" Hawkins, Jr., married to Myiia "Sunny" Davis-Hawkins, and daughter Trystan Hawkins. Walter Hawkins also had a granddaughter, Jahve Hawkins, and a grandson, Jamie Daniel Hawkins.

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 Hawkin 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 collectively sold over a million copies from the 1970s through the 1990s.

His recordings and published songs included many gospel hits: Marvelous, Going Up Yonder, Changed, Be Grateful, Thank You, He's That Kind Of Friend, Until I Found The Lord, Jesus Christ Is the Way, I'm Not The Same, Holy One, I Need Your Spirit Now, When the Battle Is Over, I Love You Lord, Special Gift, Set Me Free, Is There Any Way, Everybody Ought To Know, My Gratitude, It's Right and Good, Cry On, I'm So Thankful, Just In The Nick of Time, Jesus Made A Way, Thank You Lord, I Must Go On, I'm Going Away, Lord Give Us Time, Try Christ, I Feel Like Singing, Dear Jesus, I Love You, God Is Standing By, I Love Jesus More Today, Follow Me, All You Need Is Christ, He Brought Me, He'll Be There, Goin' To A Place, I'm A Pilgrim, Never Alone, On & On.

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

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)
I Feel Like Singing - Solo Album (Light, 1982)
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)

Compilations

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)

Trivia

Walter Hawkins won two 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."
Walter Hawkins was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame in 2007.

External links

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-'''Walter Hawkins''' (May 18, 1949 — July 11, 2010) was an [[United States|American]] [[gospel music]] [[singer]].  Born in [[Oakland, California]], he was one of gospel music's most legendary figures. During the forty-plus years of his career, he created one of the most prolific and outstanding catalogs of hit gospel recordings and published songs. He died at his home in Ripon, California, from pancreatic cancer.
+'''Walter Hawkins''' (May 18, 1949 — July 11, 2010) was an [[United States|American]] [[gospel music]] [[singer]].  Hawkins was born in [[Oakland, California]] and died at his home in Ripon, California, from pancreatic cancer.
 Walter Hawkins was the brother of [[Edwin Hawkins]], Daniel Hawkins, Feddie Hawkins-Smith and Lynette Hawkins-Stephens. With [[Tramaine Hawkins]], he had two children: son Walter "Jamie" Hawkins, Jr., married to Myiia "Sunny" Davis-Hawkins, and daughter Trystan Hawkins.  Walter Hawkins also had a granddaughter, Jahve Hawkins, and a grandson, Jamie Daniel Hawkins.
-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.
+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 Hawkin 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 collectively sold over a million copies from the 1970s through the 1990s.