“Oh, happy day
When Jesus washed my sins away.”
Edwin Hawkins is an American gospel musician, pianist, choirmaster, composer, and arranger. He is also one of the originators of the urban contemporary gospel sound. As a child, Hawkins first remembered hearing this old-time Baptist hymn while listening to the Philadelphia-based gospel group The Davis Sisters. Hawkins would later rearrange and teach it to the Northern California State Youth Choir. “Oh Happy Day” would go on to earn a Grammy in 1969, reaching the U.S. top five recordings that same year.
The legendary Ray Charles preformed this Hawkins’ classic live, along with The Voices of Jubilation Choir in 2003. If you want to hear the perfect pairing of a soulful lead singer with powerful backing choir, this is it!
© Helpful Creative
Sources: Gospel Gal + ONWALLHD