About the artist
Edwin Hawkins was an American gospel musician, choir director and composer best known for the 1969 crossover smash «Oh Happy Day», recorded with the Northern California State Youth Choir (later the Edwin Hawkins Singers). Reworking a traditional 18th-century hymn with a buoyant, soulful arrangement, the recording became an unlikely pop and R&B hit, introducing modern gospel to secular radio audiences worldwide and winning a Grammy Award.
Hawkins was a pivotal figure in the development of contemporary gospel music, blending traditional black church choral singing with pop, soul and jazz harmonic sensibilities. His arrangements emphasized rich vocal-choir textures, syncopated piano and a joyful, uplifting energy that influenced generations of gospel and secular artists alike, including performers who later cited «Oh Happy Day» as foundational to modern worship music.
Beyond his signature hit, Hawkins continued composing and directing choirs for decades, releasing further albums and mentoring gospel musicians, and organizing the influential Edwin Hawkins Music and Arts Seminar. He remains remembered as one of the architects of the modern gospel sound that bridged church music and mainstream popular music.