San Francisco ( CNN ) -- Walter Hawkins , a Grammy Award-winning gospel singer , composer and pastor , has died of pancreatic cancer , his church said Monday on its website . He was 61 . Born in Oakland , California. , Hawkins ' musical career began at a young age as a member of the Northern California State Youth Choir . He later helped found The Edwin Hawkins Singers , a collaboration that resulted in the Grammy-winning song `` Oh Happy Day , '' one of the first gospel songs to become popular on mainstream music charts . It was also named one of the Recording Industry Association of America 's Songs of the Century . Hawkins recorded his first solo album , `` Do Your Best , '' in 1972 . He later founded the Love Center Church in Oakland , where he created the Love Center Choir . With the choir he recorded a series of albums , titled `` Love Alive , '' that topped the Billboard Gospel Album charts and sold more than 1 million copies from the 1970s to the 1990s , according to the church 's website . Hawkins was nominated for a total of nine Grammy Awards throughout his career , and won one . He earned three Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association and was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame . He was also responsible for more than 100 hit gospel songs , according to MTV News . Members of the gospel community continue to express their grief about Hawkins ' death on Twitter . `` Gon na miss my dear friend and mentor Bishop Walter Hawkins ... one of the greatest singer/songwriters gospel will ever experience , '' award-winning gospel singer and composer Donald Lawrence said . Singer Greg O'Quin described Hawkins as `` truly the most musically inspiring figure in my life ... Bishop Walter Hawkins . Certainly heaven 's choir has a major upgrade tonight . Thanks WH . '' Hawkins was ordained as a bishop in October of 1992 . At the time of his death Sunday he was working on a new `` Love Alive '' album , scheduled to be released in the fall . Hawkins is survived by five siblings , two children and two grandchildren .
Hawkins was part of collaboration that recorded `` Oh Happy Day '' Had fought pancreatic cancer . Grammy winner 's albums sold more than 1 million copies .