Edwin Hawkins dead: Gospel legend dies aged 74 after cancer battle

Gospel music icon Edwin Hawkins had died at the age of 74 following a lengthy battle with cancer.

The Grammy Award-winning star, best known for his 1969 track, Oh Happy Day, died on Monday at his home in Pleasanton, California.

According to his long-time publicist Bill Carpenter, Hawkins had been battling pancreatic cancer for the last few years.

Hawkins was among those credited for the creation of urban contemporary gospel music, alongside Andrae Crouch and James Cleveland.

The US singer started his music career performing with his family in church groups and gospel choirs, before forming the Northern California State Youth Choir in his 20s.

Their first album, Let Us Go Into The House of the Lord, was released in 1968 and rose to national attention thanks to the popularity of track, Oh Happy Day.

“I think our music was probably a blend and a crossover of everything that I was hearing during that time,” Hawkins told blackmusic.com back in 2015.

“We grew up hearing all kinds of music in our home. My mother, who was a devout Christian, loved the Lord and displayed that in her lifestyle.

“My father was not a committed Christian at that time but was what you’d call a good man. And, of course, we heard from him some R&B music but also a lot of country and western when we were younger kids.”

The band went on to win a Grammy Award in 1970 and backed singer Melanie on her top 10 hit Lay Down.