Tramaine Hawkins: a gift and voice we came to know and love in the late ‘60s, literally born in church in the San Francisco Bay Area as her mother, the late Lois Davis (a Gospel singer in her own right), left a church concert to give birth to Tramaine.

At the age of four, Tramaine began singing at the Ephesians Church of God in Christ in Berkeley, CA where her grandfather, the late Bishop E. E. Cleveland, was pastor. She has been singing ever since. At ten years of age she recorded her first single, “He’s All Right!” as part of a Gospel group known as The Heavenly Tones. Two years later, the group was produced by Gospel legend Rev. James Cleveland. At fifteen, The Heavenly Tones accepted an offer to travel with Sly & The Family Stone – all except Tramaine. She chose to continue her education and remain in Gospel, later to join Andraé Crouch & The Disciples.

In 1969 upon graduating from Berkeley High School, Tramaine joined the Edwin Hawkins Singers and was a part of the Gospel music revolution via the recording of “Oh Happy Day.” This recording was the first million-selling Gospel single to also top the pop charts, and the first “crossover hit” in all areas of the world, proving that Gospel has no boundaries. This led to Tramaine being able to sing throughout the world with The Hawkins Family.

Tramaine’s lead vocals on such classics as “Changed,” “Going Up Yonder,” “Holy One,” “The Potter’s House” – the list goes on and on – are absolutely incomparable. Enjoying a successful solo career, Tramaine remains a force to reckoned with in the field of Gospel music and ministry. Known to be a trailblazer, she’s gone against the grain many times for the sake of catapulting Gospel music to another level. Before the changes experienced in the ‘90s, Tramaine was there in the ‘80s with her controversial (to the churches) hit, “Fall Down,” which became #1 on the dance charts (another first of a Gospel record). This gave Tramaine an opportunity to minister in the clubs, which was greatly frowned upon. However, she stood tall ministering in the highways and hedges as commanded and was responsible for many new souls into the Kingdom of God.

Now residing in Sacramento, CA with husband Tommie E. Richardson, Jr., her 3 children, and 10 grandchildren, Tramaine continues to travel the globe participating in conferences, workshops, revivals, and concerts with many interviews and appearances. She has recently re-recorded her single “Goin’ up Yonder” for Oprah Winfrey for the TV series, Greenleaf. “I Never Lost My Praise” was recorded in Glendale, MD at Reid Temple A.M.E. with a who’s who of Gospel musicians and singers, including the late Queen of Gospel Albertina Walker and the late Bishop Walter Hawkins, and produced by the prolific writer/singer/producer Kurt Carr and Tramaine’s son, the multi-talented Walter “Jamie” Hawkins.

Henry Panion III, PhD, holds the distinguished titles of University Professor and Director of Music Technology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He holds degrees in music education and music theory from Alabama A&M University and Ohio State University, respectively. Dr. Panion is most known for his work as conductor and arranger for pop icon Stevie Wonder, an association that spans the past 30 years. Other artists for whom Dr. Panion has had the opportunity to conduct and/or arrange include Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, the Blind Boys of Alabama, the Clark Sisters, India Arie, The Winans, Yolanda Adams, Lady Tramaine Hawkins, Kirk Franklin, the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, Lionel Richie, ALABAMA, Kelly Price, Robin Thicke, LeAnn Rimes, Bootsy Collins, and American Idol winners Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, and Ruben Studdard.

Dr. Panion has worked with more than 50 orchestras across the globe, including the Royal Philharmonic, Bolshoi Theater Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Melbourne Symphony, Rio de Janeiro Philharmonic, Raanana Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony, Namibian National Symphony Orchestra, and the Tokyo Philharmonic. In the U.S., he has worked with prominent orchestras including those of Nashville, Cleveland, Atlanta, Honolulu, Boston, Baltimore, Detroit, D.C., and his home state of Alabama. During the 50th Anniversary of Selma’s Bloody Sunday in 2015, Dr. Panion served as Artistic Producer & Conductor for the BET/Centric TV special. In 2019 he concluded the city of Birmingham’s three-year commemoration of the state of Alabama’s Bicentennial, in which he served as composer, advisor, and artistic director. The 2020 PBS concert-documentary Dreams of Hope: Birmingham’s Historic 16th Street Baptist Church Welcomes Violins of Hope was produced by Dr. Panion and has been broadcast over 1000 times since its release, received 13 Telly Awards, and has been featured in prestigious film festivals domestically and abroad in major cities throughout the world. In 2021, Dreams of Hope picked up 2 Emmy Awards for music composition and audio post-production.

As a producer, composer, arranger, and orchestrator, Dr. Panion’s work has produced three GRAMMY Awards and a host of other national music awards and nominations. From 1994 to 2000, Dr. Panion served as chair of UAB’s Department of Music. Other honors include a 1995 Distinguished Alumni Award from Alabama A&M University, a similar award from Ohio State University in 1996, the 1996 Caroline P. and Charles W. Ireland Award for Scholarly Distinction, the 2009 Congressional Black Caucus’ Civic and Cultural Advancement Award, and an appointment as Cultural Ambassador for the City of Birmingham in 2009. He was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Alabama Arts Hall of Fame in 2019.

Dr. Panion serves as a member of the Alabama State Council on the Arts, and has been appointed to the Board of Governors of the Southeast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. He served as Artistic & Creative Director and Composer for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2022 World Games, and producer of the World Games’ new theme song, “Hope of Alabama,” featuring an all-star cast of singers and receiving an unprecedented 19 Telly Awards and a 2023 Emmy nomination for musical composition and arranging. In 2023, Dr. Panion was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.

The Buffalo United Community Choir (BUCC) was formed in January of 2023, with a goal of unifying the Buffalo-Niagara region by gathering voices from across the community to sing and work together. This 100-plus voice choir represents the very best of Buffalo, with representatives from around 50 local churches and organizations. Its three artistic directors are Ella Robinson, Karen Saxon, and George Brown.

The choir sings at three yearly events: Buffalo United for Black History in February and the Concert for Unity with the BPO in July, both of which are performed at venues in the community; and a signature event at Kleinhans called Gospel Symphony Celebration, featuring a nationally known guest artist and the BPO. The BUCC’s motto is, “We lift our voices in song as ONE community.”

Participating churches and organizations include:

Antioch Church of God in Christ
Bethel AME Church
Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church
Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus
Calvary Baptist Church
Community Music School
Elim Christian Fellowship
Ephesus Ministries
Evangelistic Temple Church of God
Faith Missionary Baptist Church
First Calvary Missionary Baptist Church
First Shiloh Baptist Church
Free Spirit Missionary Baptist Church
Friendship Baptist Church
God’s Purchase Choir
Greater Hope Baptist Church
Greater Refuge Temple
Hopewell Baptist Church
Humboldt Parkway Baptist Church
Lutheran Church of our Savior
Midtown Bible Church
Miracle Missions Full Gospel Church
Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Buffalo
Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church, Lackawanna
New Beginning Choral Ensemble
New Jerusalem Church of God in Christ
New Light Assembly
New Zion Baptist Church
Orchard Park Chorale
Orchard Park Presbyterian Church
Our Savior Lutheran Church
Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church
Second Baptist Church, Buffalo
Second Baptist Church, Lackawanna
Soul Saving Revival Center
St. Bernadette Catholic Church, Orchard Park
St. Joseph University Parish
St. Luke AME Zion Church
St. Martin de Porres R.C. Church
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Eden
State Tabernacle Church of God in Christ
Tabernacle of Praise
The Chapel
Villa Maria College
Zion Dominion Global Ministries, Amherst