US Gospel singer Edwin Hawkins – best known for his hit Oh Happy Day – has died at the age of 74.
Mr Hawkins died in his hometown of Pleasanton in California on Monday. He had been treated for pancreatic cancer.
The singer, along with the likes of Andrae Crouch, is credited as one of the founders of modern Gospel music and enjoyed commercial success while openly celebrating his Christian faith.
Oh Happy Day, released as a single in 1969, was an international hit and, covered by the likes of Elvis Presley and Glen Campbell, had a major influence on the use of Gospel music in the mainstream. The song won Hawkins the first of four Grammy awards.
Mr Hawkins, who made dozens of records, was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame in 2007 and released his final album, Testify, in 2008.
