Edwin Hawkins

Edwin Reuben Hawkins (1943–2018) was an American gospel musician, pianist, choir master, composer, and arranger. Born in Oakland, California, he began playing piano for his family's gospel group at age seven. In 1967, he co-founded the Northern California State Youth Choir with Betty Watson. The choir recorded the album Let Us Go into the House of the Lord at the Ephesian Church of God in Christ in Berkeley, California.

Hawkins is recognized as one of the originators of the urban contemporary gospel sound. His arrangement of "Oh Happy Day" (1968/1969) became a landmark recording. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 and included in the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry in 2005. Other notable recordings from his catalog include "Jesus, Lover of My Soul" (1969) and "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" with Melanie (1970). He also released albums such as Every Man Wants to Be Free (1972), Wonderful (1980), and If You Love Me (1983). Over his career, Hawkins won four Grammy Awards.

A member of the Church of God in Christ, Hawkins co-founded the Edwin Hawkins & Walter Hawkins Music and Arts Love Fellowship Conference with his brother, Bishop Walter Hawkins. His work in gospel music left a lasting imprint on the genre.