Episode 21–Edwin Hawkins

Sad news from the world of music this week as we learn that Edwin Hawkins has died at the age of 74. I have to confess that this came as a surprise because I started doing the math and realized that Hawkins was in his mid-20s when "Oh Happy Day" became a hit. For whatever reason I thought he was at least twenty years older THEN. Hawkins was the founder of the Northern California State Youth Choir, and the choir recorded some songs to make a fundraiser album, which unfortunately didn't get pressed until after the event for which they needed the money. That event was a choral competition, and the NCSYC came in second, perhaps because "Oh Happy Day" wasn't one of the songs they sang. As it turns out, that wasn't one of their favorite songs! The unexpected success of "Oh Happy Day" led to the group being asked to provide the backup singing for Melanie's tribute to her experience at Woodstock, "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)". The Edwin Hawkins Singers experienced some more success on the Gospel charts over the years, and lead singer Dorothy Morrison gained acclaim as a backup singer for several rock artists. And I'm sure you know the drill by now, but if your RSS feed is failing you somehow, there's always the player below for listening or downloading: And please feel free to leave comments here, or leave a review on your favorite podcast software.