Los Angeles, Dec 31 (.) Richard Smallwood, the acclaimed Grammy-nominated gospel singer whose music has been celebrated by artists like Destiny’s Child and Whitney Houston, has passed away at the age of 77.
A representative confirmed to Variety that Smallwood died on Tuesday from complications related to kidney failure at the Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Maryland.
Smallwood was a powerhouse vocalist, pianist, and songwriter, earning eight Grammy nominations along with multiple Dove and Stellar Awards throughout his career.
He led the Richard Smallwood Singers and later Vision, producing gospel classics such as “Total Praise,” “Trust Me,” and “I’ll Trust You.” His work was widely recognized and covered by renowned artists, including Houston, who performed “I Love the Lord” for The Preacher’s Wife, and Destiny’s Child, who included “Total Praise” in their 2007 a cappella Gospel Medley.
Born in November 1948 in Atlanta, Georgia, Smallwood was raised in Washington, D.C., by his mother and stepfather. He began playing piano at five and formed his first gospel group at age 11.
Smallwood attended Howard University, earning a music degree and joining the school’s first gospel ensemble, the Celestials.
In 1977, he founded the Richard Smallwood Singers and signed with Onyx Records in 1982, releasing their debut album The Richard Smallwood Singers, which spent 87 weeks on the Billboard Spiritual Album Sales chart. Their 1984 album ‘Psalms’ earned the group their first ‘Grammy nomination’, followed by five more records over the years.
After disbanding the Smallwood Singers in the early 1990s, he formed the choir Vision, collaborating on albums up through 2015. The song “Trust Me” reached No. 9 on the Hot Gospel Songs chart and earned Smallwood his final Grammy nomination in 2012.
In 2019, he published his autobiography, ‘Total Praise: The Autobiography’, detailing his family’s history and his journey in gospel music.
In recent years, Smallwood faced mild dementia and other health challenges that prevented him from recording new music. He is survived by his siblings, nieces, nephews, and godchildren, according to Variety.
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