Richard Smallwood, the Grammy-nominated gospel singer whose music has been covered by such artists as Destiny’s Child and Whitney Houston, has died according to TheGRIO. He was 77.
A rep for Smallwood confirmed to Variety that he died of complications from kidney failure on Tuesday at the Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Maryland.
Mr.Smallwood was born in November 1948 in Atlanta, GA, and was raised in Washington, D.C. by his mother and stepfather. He began playing piano at the age of five and formed his own gospel group by 11. He attended Howard University, where he earned a degree in music, and was a member of the university’s first gospel group, the Celestials.
He later recorded the song “Trust Me,” which hit No. 9 on the Hot Gospel Songs chart, scored his final Grammy nomination in 2012 in the best gospel song category. In 2019, he published the book “Total Praise: The Autobiography,” detailing his family’s personal history.
He will be missed. May he Rest In Power 🙏🏾👑 #TheRaydioTwins #RichardSmallwood
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