Hawkins was briefly a member of the 1970s R&B/soul vocal group Honey Cone. The group recorded the R&B hit "Want Ads" which made its way back into the gospel genre by being sampled on Mary Mary's 2005 hit "Heaven". Hawkins also briefly sang with Andrae Crouch and The Disciples, singing lead on their 1970 release "Christian People." Hawkins is both famous and infamous for her mainstream success as a gospel artist. In the mid-1980s, she signed with A&M Records and released a pair of dance-oriented contemporary gospel albums. Her 1985 A&M debut "The Search Is Over" yielded dance chart singles such as "Child of the King," "In the Morning Time," and the monster club hit "Fall Down (Spirit of Love)". The latter topped the "Billboard" Dance Charts to A&M's delight.