Grammy Award-winning gospel singer Walter Hawkins died on Sunday at his home in Ripon, California. He was 61.

According to Edwin Hawkins, his brother, the composer and pastor from Oakland had been fighting with pancreatic cancer for quite some time. The news about his illness was revealed in January this year when he failed to show up at the Stellar Awards.

Hawkins earned a divinity degree at the University of California, Berkeley. He recorded his debut album called “Do Your Best” in 1972. He became a pastor a year later and created the Love Center Church in Oakland.

He released several more albums, earning a total of nine Grammy nominations. In 1980, he won one for “The Lord’s Prayer.”

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