Richard Smallwood, a towering figure in gospel music whose compositions crossed church walls and reached mainstream audiences, has died at the age of 77.
A representative confirmed to The Washington Post that Smallwood passed away on Tuesday, December 30, due to complications related to kidney failure at the Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Maryland.
Over a career that spanned more than four decades, Smallwood became known for blending classical training with gospel tradition, creating songs that felt both reverent and expansive. His work earned eight Grammy nominations, as well as multiple Dove and Stellar Awards.
Smallwood’s music reached listeners far beyond gospel radio. Whitney Houston famously recorded his song “I Love the Lord” for the 1996 soundtrack to The Preacher’s Wife.
Destiny’s Child later paid tribute by performing “Total Praise” as part of their 2007 a cappella “Gospel Medley.”
Born in November 1948 in Atlanta and raised in Washington, D.C., Smallwood showed musical promise early. He began playing the piano at age five and organized his own gospel group by age 11. He later attended Howard University, where he earned a degree in music and joined the school’s first gospel ensemble, the Celestials.
In 1977, Smallwood founded the Richard Smallwood Singers. The group signed with Onyx Records in the early 1980s and released their self-titled debut album in 1982, which remained on the Billboard Spiritual Album Sales chart for 87 weeks. Their 1984 release, Psalms, earned Smallwood his first Grammy nomination, followed by several more albums and continued recognition.
In the early 1990s, Smallwood transitioned away from the Singers and formed a new choir, Vision. Together, they released multiple projects through 2015. The song “Trust Me” reached No. 9 on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart and earned Smallwood his final Grammy nomination in 2012.
In 2019, he reflected on his life and career in his autobiography, Total Praise. In recent years, health challenges, including mild dementia, limited his ability to record new music.
Smallwood is survived by his siblings, nieces, nephews, and godchildren.
