His crowning achievement was bringing his arrangement of "Oh Happy Day," originally an 18th Century hymn, to wide audiences. The song debuted 50 years ago in 1968 and became the first gospel song ...

Hawkins is best known for groundbreaking gospel arrangements, particularly "Oh Happy Day." Hawkins' publicist Bill Carpenter told the Associated Press that the singer died early Monday at his home ...

Edwin Hawkins' "Oh Happy Day" was an accidental hit. The song, a gospel-style rework of an 18th century hymn, starts with a jazzy drum beat and a kind of blues pop piano groove. Dorothy Morrison ...

(AP) — Along with Andrae Crouch, James Cleveland and a handful of others, Hawkins was credited as a founder of modern gospel music. NEW YORK (AP) — Edwin Hawkins, the gospel star best known ...

Pleasanton, CA – Edwin Hawkins, the four-time Grammy® Award-winning leader of The Edwin Hawkins Singers’ 1969 million-seller, “Oh Happy Day,” died January 15 at his home in the Bay area ...

Then, inspired by Grammy nominee Ryan Toby, the choir suddenly turns joyous, belting out a stomping rendition of “Oh Happy Day.” The performance inspires Goldberg to enter the choir into an ...

His hit, “Oh Happy Day,” blended gospel and secular sounds, and became the first gospel song to reach the Top 40 charts. In 1969, it reached No. 2 on the Billboard R&B Singles chart and No. 4 ...