Pastor Walter Hawkins Dies Cancer

By: Rob Adams
Staff Writer
Published: Jul 12, 2010

Walter Hawkins dies of Pancreatic cancer.

Walter Hawkins dies of Pancreatic cancer. Hawkins, Grammy Award Winner, dies of cancer and sources close to Walter say fought a long battle. Walter Hawkins achieved many things in his lifetime, he dies at the young age of 61.

It has been reported that Hawkins had been battling pancreatic cancer. It is estimated that by the end of 2010 in the United States around 43,140 individuals will be diagnosed with this condition and 36,800 will die from the disease. Hawkins's brother, Edward stated, "Today, I lost my brother, my pastor, and my best friend ...Bishop Hawkins suffered bravely, but now he will suffer no more and he will be greatly missed."

Hawkins was a Bishop and recorded his first album "Do Your Best" in 1972 while studying for his divinity degree at the University of California, Berkeley. After becoming a Paster in 1973, he founded the Love Center Church in Oakland, where he additionally formed a choir. In 1980 this well-acclaimed man won his first Grammy for "The Lord's Prayer." He recorded several albums in the 1980s and earned nine Grammy Award nominations during that time.

Throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s Hawkins released several albums including: Love Alive 4 - Love Center Choir (Malaco, 1990), New Dawning - Hawkins Family (Bellmark, 1996), Love Alive, Vol. 5: 25th Anniversary Reunion 1 - Love Center Choir (Interscope, 1998), Take Courage - Hawkins Family (Bellmark, 2000), A Song In My Heart - Solo Album (Coda/Red-Sony, 2005).

Hawkins and his groups have recorded with Van Morrison, Diahann Carroll, Jeffrey Osborne, and many others. Hawkins is survived by siblings Edwin Hawkins, Daniel Hawkins, Feddie Hawkins-Smith and Lynette Hawkins-Stephens. In addition to his children his two children, son Walter "Jamie" Hawkins, Jr., who is married to Myiia "Sunny" Davis-Hawkins, and a daughter Trystan Hawkins.