EXCLUSIVE: A Musical Moment with Edwin Hawkins

GOSPELflava shared a few moments with the inimitable Edwin Hawkins. Hawkins will be honored alongside Tramaine Hawkins and Kurt Carr at the 2013 BMI Trailblazers Salute during Stellar Awards Weekend in a couple days.  We asked about the BMI Salute, the New Edwin Hawkins Singers and the highly anticipated Love Alive 6 recording.

On his selection as a 2013 BMI Traiblazer

Honestly, I am excited.  I feel it is a great honor and I am very humbled to have been selected.  The Hawkins Family was honored a couple years back when Pastor (Walter) was still living. Along with myself, BMI is honoring Tramaine and Kurt Carr and I am looking forward to spending that time together and sharing the honor with both of them.

On what Edwin Hawkins songs he would like to hear during the tribute

Oh, that’s a difficult one.  We’ve done so many songs between Walter and myself over the years; I can’t say off hand that I have any really favorite songs (we can, did you want our list?). I understand that Donald Lawrence is putting together the tribute and I have every confidence that he is going to put together a wonderful group of people to sing and great musicians because that’s who he is.

On the New Edwin Hawkins Singers

I am grateful to say that I have also assembled a great group of singers and we are working on some music.  You know the state of the industry today is ever changing and very different than it was even ten years ago.  The industry propels artists to do records independently.  I spoke with Carl Wheeler earlier and we are planning to do some mixing in the studio and release a single in the near future.

On the highly anticipated Love Alive 6 Recording

We are planning to record in the fall and I am very excited about it. The recording will be done in honor of my brother.  He had written several songs in preparation for Love Alive 6 that we plan on recording around that time.  My brother was one of the greatest writers ever and I’m not just saying that because he was my brother, I’m saying that because ITS TRUE and I am excited about that. We are looking forward to recording around the time of the anniversary of Love Center Ministries (which is in October), but we will give you more information on that shortly.

Lastly, Edwin Hawkins informed us of his move into Pastoral Ministry.  You heard it here.  Edwin Hawkins will share pastoral duties at Love Center Ministries alongside Pastor Ron McFarland and Pastor Sandy Coleman. In his own words: I always said to  my brother, I’m glad God called you to pastor and not me, because I don’t think I could deal with the people.  Now I have always had  a love for people.  But, after my brother’s passing, the Lord began dealing with me to the point where God just turned my heart upside down and gave me a fresh new love for His people.  I feel it is my responsibility to protect and nurture them.  I was licensed and commissioned by Bishop Julia Whitehurst this past weekend and we (Pastor Ron, Pastor Sandy and I ) spent some time with her and I saw God brings us into a oneness .  I am looking forward to getting in and working.  I know to be a true shepherd, that you have to have the heart of a servant, and I am ready to serve.