Grammy Award winning gopel singer, composer, and pastor Walter Hawkins passed away on Sunday after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 61.


Born in Oakland, Hawkins studied for his divinity degree at the University of California, Berkeley. While attending the university, he recorded his first album, "Do Your Best" in 1972.

The next year, Hawkins became a pastor and started the Love Center Church in his hometown of Oakland, where he also formed a choir.

Hawkins would go on to record a string of gospel albums through the 80s and earned a total of nine Grammy nominations.
Funeral arrangements will be announced later this week.