Walter Hawkins

Bishop Walter Hawkins, the American gospel music singer, and a pastor. Hawkins was consecrated to the bishopic in 1992. He died at his home in Ripon, California, from pancreatic cancer.

Walter Hawkins was the brother of Edwin Hawkins, Daniel Hawkins (Marcia), Feddie Hawkins Smith, Carol 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 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."