While still in high school, Hawkins and her friends, Mary McCreary, Elva Mouton, and Vet Stone, had a gospel group called the Heavenly Tones that performed at various venues around the Oakland and San Francisco areas.

Hawkins scored several hits as a solo artist in the 1980s while signed to Light Records, and released now-classic albums, such as her 1979 self-titled debut, Tramaine, and its 1983 follow-up Determined.

Songs such as "Changed," "Goin Up Yonder", "He's That Kind Of Friend", Jesus Christ Is The Way" and "Highway" quickly became staples and fan favorites.

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)".

Though the song had not been widely acknowledged in the gospel music community, the more than eight-minute extended dance mix was finally included on Hawkins's 2001 collection All My Best To You, Vol.

Following harsh criticism and backlash from the success of her A&M recordings, Hawkins signed with Sparrow and delivered 1988's The Joy That Floods My Soul, including the opener "All Things Are Possible."

New music would not surface until Hawkins' 2000 cameo appearance on gospel trio Trin-i-tee 5:7's recorded cover of her signature tune "Highway".

The album would also give a nod to her former career as a dance-floor darling featuring Basement Boys club remixes of the single "By His Strength".

Hawkins again paid final tribute to an African-American legend when she was requested in 2005 to sing at the funeral service of civil rights activist Rosa Parks.

Hawkins was also part of the Rosa Parks tribute recording "Something Inside So Strong" from A Celebration of Quiet Strength, featuring other gospel artists such as Vanessa Bell Armstrong and Daryl Coley.

Lady Tramaine was the special guest along with Bishop Walter Hawkins, Bishop Rance Allen, Pastor Daryl Coley, Pastor Andrae' Crouch, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Karen Clark-Sheard and Joe Ligon of the Mighty Clouds of Joy on the Mary Mary project, singing "It Will Be Worth It".