Tramaine Aunzola Richardson, (née Davis) known professionally as Tramaine/Tramaine Hawkins (born October 11, 1951), is an American award-winning Gospel singer whose career spans over five decades. Hawkins has won two Grammy Awards, two Dove Awards, and 19 Stellar Awards, and is a Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductee. Hawkins also briefly sang with Andraé Crouch and The Disciples, singing lead on their Grammy-nominated 1970 release "Christian People".
At the age of 17, Hawkins sang on Edwin Hawkins Singers' hit single "Oh Happy Day". With her distinctive soprano and extensive vocal range, she later became a member of late ex-husband Walter Hawkins' Love Center Choir and the Hawkins Family. A remake entitled "Fall Down 2000", later appeared on Kelli Williams' 2000 album In The Myx. A remix of the song also featured on Hawkins' 2001 compilation album All My Best To You, Vol. 2.
Freedom followed in 1987, with "The Rock" and its title track as the album's singles. The latter was co-written and produced by The Jacksons. Hawkins later signed with Sparrow Records to release 1988's The Joy That Floods My Soul, which was Grammy nominated in the category of Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female. She also won a Grammy in the category of Best Traditional Soul Gospel Performance, for 1990's Live, her first live album. She also sang at the May 1990 funeral of Sammy Davis Jr. and was a guest vocalist on Santana's June 1990 album Spirits Dancing in the Flesh. Hawkins became one of the first gospel artists to sign with Columbia Records to release 1994's Grammy-nominated To a Higher Place. In 1999 Hawkins was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. She then made a guest appearance on gospel trio Trin-i-tee 5:7's 1999 album Spiritual Love. After signing a new contract with GospoCentric Records, in 2001 Hawkins released Still Tramaine. This album featured remixes of her single "By His Strength" by the Basement Boys. At the 2007 Stellar Awards Hawkins was bestowed with the James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award, and won Female Vocalist of the Year and Traditional Female of the Year for her 2007 live album I Never Lost My Praise: Live. After this album's release Hawkins embarked on a tour across the United States. She then sang alongside Andraé Crouch, Rance Allen, Karen Clark Sheard, Walter Hawkins, Joe Ligon of the Mighty Clouds of Joy, Daryl Coley and Dorinda Clark-Cole on the 2008 Mary Mary album The Sound. Hawkins later made a guest appearance on Donnie McClurkin's 2014 album Duets.
Personal life
While married to Walter Hawkins from 1971 until their divorce in 1994, the couple had two children, a son, Walter "Jamie" Hawkins Jr. and a daughter, Trystan Hawkins, with five granddaughters and three grandsons. Hawkins now refers to herself as "Lady Tramaine". She lives in California. She is now married to Tommie Richardson Jr, who has son Demar Richardson from a previous relationship. Richardson is a retired educator with Oakland Unified School District and founder of T. Richardson Investments.
Awards
Grammy awards
Hawkins has won two Grammys out of eight nominations.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Category
! Nominated work
! Result
|-
|rowspan="3"|1979
|Best Soul Gospel Performance, Contemporary
|"Tramaine (Album)"
|
|-
|Best Soul Gospel Performance, Contemporary
|Push For Excellence (Album)
|
|-
|Best Gospel Performance, Contemporary Or Inspirational
|"The Lord's Prayer"
|
|-
|1982
|Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female
||Determined (Album)
|
|-
|1985
|Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female
||The Search Is Over (Album)
|
|-
|1987
|Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female
|The Joy That Floods My Soul (Album)
|
|-
|1991
|Best Traditional Soul Gospel Performance
|"Tramaine Hawkins Live"
|
|-
|1995
|Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album
|To a Higher Place (Album)
|
|-
|2002
|Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album
|Still Tramaine
|
|}
Discography
Albums
- 1966: I Love the Lord (Gospel Records) (as member of the gospel group The Heavenly Tones)
- 1979: Tramaine (Light)
- 1983: Determined (Light) – No. 6 Gospel
- 1986: The Search Is Over (A&M)<sup>T</sup> – No. 2 Gospel, No. 33 R&B No. 7 R&B, UK No. 60
- 1986: "Child of the King" (A&M)
- 1986: "In the Morning Time" (A&M) – No. 21 Dance, No. 26 R&B
- 1987: "The Rock" (A&M) - No. 22 Dance
- 1987: "Freedom" (A&M)
- 1992: "Do Not Pass Me By" <small>(MC Hammer with Tramaine Hawkins)</small> (Capitol/EMI) – No. 62 US, No. 15 R&B, No. 14 UK
- 1995: "I Found the Answer" (Columbia)
- 1995: "Who's Gonna Carry You" (Columbia)
- 2001: "By His Strength" (GospoCentric)
- 2007: "Excellent Lord" (GospoCentric)
- 2007: "I Never Lost My Praise" (GospoCentric)
- 2014: "My Past" (duet with Donnie McClurkin) (EMI Gospel)