EDWIN HAWKINS THE AMERICAN MASTER OF GOSPEL COMES TO LEAVE US

The information was published on the singer's Face book page.

His disappearance did not provoke the shock wave of the death of Johnny Hallyday, but it nevertheless moved a large number of admirers from around the world who were numerous to testify of their immense sadness.

Pianist, singer, choirmaster, composer, the artist, who was originally a keyboardist, has participated in many groups of Gospels.

The best known of the gospels that he interpreted was: "Oh! Happy Day! "

Edwin Hawkins was born in Oakland, California on May 19, 1943.

His mother being a singer, Edwin Hawkins began singing at the age of seven. He first accompanied the musical ensemble of the American Pentecostal Church of his parish, a group attended by several members of his family.

In 1967, he teamed up with Betty Watson to record in two voices "Oh! Happy Day.

This gospel figured in 8th position on the recording disc. They hoped to sell about 500.

The song was a hit as soon as radio stations in San Francisco Bay programmed it on their channels .

In two months it sold more than 1 million records.

The piece was recreated and rearranged a few years later, in 1969. This time, the number of discs passed exceeded 7 million.

"Oh Happy Day" has thus become a planetary tub, hummed by many of us.

Edwin Hawkins has since been considered one of the founders of Gospel music.

Hawkins came from a family of musicians: his mother was, besides singer, pianist while his father played guitar Hawaiian.

It was in an old book of songs of his mother that he discovered

"Oh Happy Day", an old XVIII century canticle he had the talent to rearrange. "Oh Happy Day" was later picked up by King -Elvis Presley-, Joan Baez, Quincy Jones, Aretha Franklin.

It was used in background music in the movie "Sister Act" with Whoopi Goldberg. Edwin Hawkins has won 4 grammies awards in his career as an artist.

Edwin Hawkins once told his agent that "originally, he did not think about getting into the music industry and trying to sign with a record company, but that Oh Happy Day was a piece that had defined his destiny, while leading him on this path.