Tramaine Hawkins (born Tramaine Aunzola Davis on October 11, 1951) is an American gospel music singer. She has won two Grammy Awards, two Doves, and 19 Stellar Awards.
Hawkins was born in San Francisco, California to the late Roland and Lois (Cleveland) Davis. She grew up in the Ephesians Church of God in Christ located in Berkeley, California, pastored by her grandfather, the late Bishop E.E. Cleveland. While still in high school, Hawkins and her friends, Mary McCreary, Elva Mouton, and Vet Stone, had a gospel group called The Heavenly Tones that performed at various venues around the Oakland and San Francisco areas. In 1966 they recorded the album âI Love the Lordâ for the Gospel label, part of Savoy Records, and a 45 for the Music City label called âHeâs Alrightâ. When Vet Stoneâs older brother Sylvester, better known as Sly Stone, formed Sly & the Family Stone with their brother Freddie and friends Larry Graham, Cynthia Robinson, Jerry Martini, and Greg Errico, The Heavenly Tones were recruited directly out of high school to become Little Sister (band), Sly & the Family Stoneâs background vocalists for their recording. Tramaine left the group to focus solely on recording and singing Gospel Music. At the age of 17, she sang on The Edwin Hawkins Singers Choirâs single âOh Happy Dayâ. With her distinctive soprano and extensive vocal range, she became better known as a featured soloist with late husband Walter Hawkinsâ Love Center Choir as well as The Hawkins Family.
She scored several hits as a solo artist in the 1980s while signed to Light Records and released now-classic albums, such as her 1979 self-titled debut, Tramaine; and its 1983 follow-up Determined. Songs such as âChanged,â âGoin Up Yonderâ, âHeâs That Kind Of Friendâ, Jesus Christ Is The Way" and âHighwayâ quickly became staples and fan favorites.
Tramaine was briefly a member of the 1970s soul female singing group Honey Cone. Honey Cone later recorded the R&B hit âWant Adsâ that ironically made its way back into the gospel genre by being sampled on Mary Maryâs 2005 hit âHeavenâ. She also briefly sang with Andrae Crouch and The Disciples, singing lead on their 1970 release âChristian People.â
Hawkins is both famous and infamous for her mainstream success as a gospel artist. In the mid-1980s, Hawkins signed with A&M Records and released a pair of dance-oriented contemporary gospel albums. Her 1985 A&M debut The Search Is Over yielded dance chart singles such as âChild of the King,â âIn the Morning Time,â and the monster club hit âFall Down (Spirit of Love)â. The latter topped the Billboard Dance Charts to A&Mâs delight.
However, Hawkins was somewhat ostracized by her core gospel music audience, who were soured by the lyrically neutral content and heavy mainstream attention her music received. Though âFall Downâ became one of the earliest gospel songs to crossover to mainstream charts, traditional fans balked. Nonetheless, Freedom followed in 1987, producing âThe Rockâ and its title track as singles. The latter was co-written and produced by The Jacksons.
Nearly 15 years later, âFall Downâ received a resurgence of popularity as gospel singer Kelli Williams recorded a remake of the hit as âFall Down 2000â, produced by avant garde gospel artist TonĂŠx. Though the song had not been widely acknowledged in the gospel music community, the more than eight-minute extended dance mix was finally included on Tramaineâs 2001 collection All My Best To You, Vol. 2.
In the new millennium, Tramaine resurfaced on GospoCentric Records with a powerful release, âStill Tramaineâ. This album included traditional gospel songs along with a duet with ex-husband, the late Walter Hawkins, on âItâs Your Powerâ. Also included on âStill Tramaineâ was a track titled âOver Thereâ an uptempo track reminiscent of âFall Downâ.
Hawkins won her first Grammy Award in 1981 for her participation performance on The Lords Prayer along with then husband, Walter Hawkins.
Following harsh criticism and backlash from the success of her A&M recordings, Hawkins signed with Sparrow and delivered 1988âsThe Joy That Floods My Soul, including the opener âAll Things Are Possible.â The stellar set quickly re-endeared Hawkins to her core audience. Between album releases, Tramaine made a famous cameo on MC Hammerâs 1990 pop-gospel hit âDo Not Pass Me Byâ. She was also honored with a request to sing at the funeral of Sammy Davis, Jr. when the beloved entertainment legend died in May 1990.
Though Joy That Floods was well received, that studio effort would be eclipsed by the release of the concert recording Tramaine Hawkins Live in 1990. The grandiose recording with its sweeping arrangements and show-stopping medleys of fan favorites would become a benchmark in Tramaineâs career. The set eventually vindicated Hawkins in total by winning a much-coveted Grammy Award for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album in 1991.
Following her triumphant comeback, she became one of the first gospel artists to sign with Columbia Records when she released To A Higher Place in 1994. Following this albumâs release, Tramaine took an extended hiatus from recording. New music would not surface until Hawkinsâ 2000 cameo appearance on gospel trio Trin-i-tee 5:7âs recorded cover of her signature tune âHighwayâ.
Following this foreshadowing, Hawkins delivered the tour-de-force studio recording Still Tramaine in 2001 after signing a new contract with GospoCentric Records. The album would also give a nod to her former career as a dance-floor darling featuring Basement Boys club remixes of the single âBy His Strengthâ.
Hawkins again paid final tribute to an African-American legend when she was requested in 2005 to sing at the funeral service of civil rights activist Rosa Parks. Hawkins was also part of the Rosa Parks tribute recording âSomething Inside So Strongâ from A Celebration of Quiet Strength, featuring other gospel artists such as Vanessa Bell Armstrong and Daryl Coley.
Tramaine has been inducted into the Gospel Hall of Fame. Recently receiving the James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award and netting two Stellar Awards for Female Vocalist of the Year and Traditional Female of the Year for her 2007 CD release I Never Lost My Praise (2007). After the release of her second live album, âI Never Lost My Praiseâ, Tramaine embarked on a church tour across the United States. Lady Tramaine was the special guest along with her lifelong friend, Bishop Walter Hawkins, Bishop Rance Allen, Pastor Daryl Coley, Pastor Andraeâ Crouch, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Karen Clark-Sheard and Joe Ligon of the Mighty Clouds of Joy on the Mary Mary project singing âIt will be Worth Itâ. She also returned to Bobby Jones Gospel in 2012 to perform âI Never Lost My Praiseâ. In 2014, Tramaine joined fellow Gospel Superstar, Donnie McClurkin on his Duets album; appearing on the track â My Past.â
While married to Walter Hawkins, the couple had two children, a son, Walter âJamieâ Hawkins (Sunny Hawkins) and a daughter, Trystan Hawkins, with three granddaughters and three grandsons.
Hawkins now refers to herself as âLady Tramaineâ. Hawkins lives outside of Sacramento, California with her husband Tommie Richardson, Jr., and has one stepson, Demar (Chasity Richardson), with two step-grandsons.
1966: I Love The Lord (Gospel Records) (as member of the gospel group The Heavenly Tones)
1983: Determined (Light) â #6 Gospel
1986: The Search Is Over (A&M)T â #2 Gospel, #33 R&B
1988: The Joy That Floods My Soul (Sparrow/Capitol) â #5 Gospel, #33 Christian
1990: Live (Sparrow) â #2 Gospel, #25 Christian
1994: To A Higher Place (Columbia) â #4 Gospel
2001: Still Tramaine (GospoCentric)T â #5 Gospel, #31 Heatseekers
2007: I Never Lost My Praise: Live (GospoCentric) â #12 Gospel
TDenotes albums released as Tramaine only, as opposed to Tramaine Hawkins.
1986: Tramaine Treasury (Light)
1994: All My Best to You (Sparrow) â #38 Gospel
2001: All My Best to You, Vol. 2 (EMI Gospel)
2002: Mega 3 Collection (Light)
2008: Gospel Legacy (Light)
1966: âHeâs Alrightâ (Music City) (as member of the gospel group The Heavenly Tones)
1986: âFall Down (Spirit Of Love)â (A&M) â #1 Dance, #7 R&B, UK #60
1986: âChild Of The Kingâ (A&M)
1986: âIn The Morning Timeâ (A&M) â #21 Dance, #26 R&B
âThe Rockâ (A&M, 1987) - #22 Dance
1987: âFreedomâ (A&M)
1992: âDo Not Pass Me By" (MC Hammer with Tramaine Hawkins) (EMI/Capitol) â #62 US, #15 R&B, #14 UK
1995: âI Found The Answerâ (Columbia)
1995: âWhoâs Gonna Carry Youâ (Columbia)
2001: âBy His Strengthâ (GospoCentric)
2007: âExcellent Lordâ (GospoCentric)
2007: âI Never Lost My Praiseâ (GospoCentric)
2014 âMy Pastâ (Duet with Donnie McClurkin) (EMI Gospel)
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