Walter Hawkins and Love Alive: the Oakland live albums that defined 1970s gospel

The album was recorded live in a church in Oakland, California, and it became one of the best-selling gospel albums of its time. Love Alive, released in 1975 by Walter Hawkins and the Love Center Choir, captured a congregation in full voice. It began a series of recordings that shaped choir music for a generation.

The Hawkins family and Love Alive

Walter Hawkins was born in 1949 in Oakland. His brother Edwin Hawkins had a worldwide hit with “Oh Happy Day” in 1969. Walter sang and played with his brother’s group before starting his own ministry. Walter founded Love Center Church in Oakland, where he served as pastor. Its choir became the core of his recordings. The first Love Alive album was released in 1975. Its energy and polished arrangements made it a landmark of live gospel recording.

The album included “Going Up Yonder”, led by Tramaine Hawkins, Walter’s wife at the time. The song about longing for heaven became a gospel classic.

The series and its influence

Walter released several more Love Alive albums over the following decades, each recorded with the choir. Tramaine Hawkins became a major gospel artist in her own right, known for her powerful voice. Walter Hawkins received Grammy nominations and awards for his work, and his music influenced many choirs. The Love Alive series helped establish the live choir album as a major format in gospel music, followed by artists such as Hezekiah Walker and Kirk Franklin.

Walter Hawkins died in July 2010, aged 61. Choirs in Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa have performed his songs, especially at choral competitions.

Edwin Hawkins and recording live

Walter’s brother Edwin had changed gospel with “Oh Happy Day”, and the brothers often worked together. Their family music shaped the Bay Area gospel scene. The Love Center Choir combined strong soloists with a tight, energetic choir backed by a band. Oakland and the wider San Francisco Bay Area became an important centre of gospel music because of the Hawkins family and their churches.

Recording in church allowed listeners to hear the congregation’s response. Love Alive was recorded in one church on one night. Its sound travelled to choir rooms on every continent.