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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

A tribute to the legendary composer, singer, and pianist Edwin Hawkins. The first time I heard Edwin Hawkins and the Edwin Hawkins Singers’ “Oh Happy Day” was in June 1969 in base housing at ...

Edwin Hawkins isn't quite sure what he'd be doing today if his Latin-soul arrangement of the 18th century Protestant hymn "Oh Happy Day" hadn't become a fluke international hit in 1969 ...