Walter Hawkins went home to be with the Lord Sunday July 11, 2010, He will be missed. Walter Hawkins was an American gospel music singer born May 18, 1949 in Oakland, California. One of gospel music's most legendary figures, Bishop Walter Hawkins was one of the most beloved pastors and figures in contemporary Gospel Music today. In the Forty plus years of his career, he had created one of the most prolific and outstanding catalogs of hit gospel recordings and published songs.

Walter was the brother of gospel singer Edwin Hawkins and Lynette Hawkins-Stephens. While married to Tramaine Hawkins, the couple had two children: a son, Walter "Jamie" Hawkins, Jr. (Myiia "Sunny" Hawkins) and a daughter, Trystan Hawkins with one granddaughter, Jahve Hawkins and one grandson, Jamie Daniel Hawkins.

Hawkins started his career with his brothers' hit song "Oh Happy Day" with The Edwin Hawkins Singers which became one of the first gospel songs to crossover onto mainstream charts.

Walter left the group in the early '70s to establish the Love Center Church in Oakland, CA. He and his Love Center Choir had considerable success with his Love Alive series, which collectively sold over a million copies from the '70s through the '90s
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