The legacy of 'Oh Happy Day,' Oakland’s most popular and most controversial gospel song By Dan Gentile , Senior Culture Editor Updated July 16, 2021 3:47 p.m.

The song is “Oh Happy Day,” a traditional gospel number performed by a 46-piece ensemble called the Northern California State Youth Choir as part of an album, Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord.

Edwin Hawkins' "Oh Happy Day" was an accidental hit. The song, a gospel-style rework of an 18th century hymn, starts with a jazzy drum beat and a kind of blues pop piano groove.

He blended gospel hymns with a secular sound and "Oh Happy Day" was the first gospel song to reach the top 40 charts. It reached the top 10 and also became an international hit in 1969.

In 1970, the Edwin Hawkins singers won a Grammy for best soul gospel performance for "Oh Happy Day." It became an unexpected hit when a San Francisco disc jockey began playing the song.