(December 30, 2025 – Sandy Spring, MD)
Richard Smallwood, the eight-time Grammy® Award–nominated, classically trained composer, pianist, and gospel recording artist whose music helped redefine contemporary gospel, passed away early Tuesday morning, December 30, at 12:36 a.m. He died at the Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center due to complications related to kidney failure. He was 77.

Over a career spanning more than five decades, Smallwood composed some of the most enduring and widely performed songs in gospel music history. His work bridged classical structure, traditional gospel fervor, and modern musical sensibilities, earning admiration across generations and denominations. Among his most celebrated compositions is “I Love the Lord,” famously recorded by Whitney Houston and the Georgia Mass Choir for the 1996 soundtrack The Preacher’s Wife. The song’s influence extended beyond gospel, echoed in Boyz II Men’s 1997 album Evolution on the closing track “Dear God.” Another signature composition, “Total Praise,” achieved iconic status and was later covered by Destiny’s Child in their 2007 a cappella track, “Gospel Medley.”

With ensembles such as The Richard Smallwood Singers and later Vision, Smallwood also enjoyed major successes with songs including “Center of My Joy,” “Anthem of Praise,” and “I’ll Trust You.” His music became a staple in churches worldwide, frequently performed by choirs and praised for its emotional depth, musical sophistication, and theological clarity.

Born on November 30, 1948, in Atlanta, Georgia, Richard Smallwood was primarily raised in Washington, D.C., by his mother, Mabel Smallwood, and his stepfather, the Rev. Chester Lee “C.L.” Smallwood, longtime pastor of Union Temple Baptist Church in southeast Washington. A musical prodigy, Smallwood began playing piano by ear at the age of five. By seven, he was receiving formal instruction, and by eleven, he had already formed his own gospel group—early signs of a calling that would shape his life.

Smallwood attended high school in Washington, D.C., where one of his teachers was Roberta Flack, years before her rise to international fame. He later graduated cum laude from Howard University with a degree in music, forging lifelong friendships with fellow students Donny Hathaway, Debbie Allen, and Phylicia Rashad. While at Howard, he was a member of the Celestials, the university’s first gospel ensemble, reputed to be the first gospel group to perform at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. He also played a key role as one of the founding members of the Howard University Gospel Choir.

After college, Smallwood briefly taught music at the University of Maryland before founding The Richard Smallwood Singers in 1977, inspired by a live performance from the Edwin Hawkins Singers. The group brought a progressive, contemporary sound to gospel music, blending classical arrangements with modern rhythms and expressive vocals. After performing extensively throughout the Washington, D.C., area, they were signed to Onyx Records in 1982. Their debut album spent an impressive 87 weeks on Billboard’s Spiritual Albums chart, signaling a major shift in the genre.

With rotating lead vocals from singers such as Dottie Jones, Jackie Ruffin, Darlene Simmons, and Smallwood himself, the group developed a distinctive sound that resonated strongly with young, middle-class Black Christian audiences. At a time when gospel largely catered to older listeners, the Smallwood Singers attracted a younger, college-educated following. Their 1984 album Psalms reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Spiritual Albums chart and earned a Grammy® nomination.

In 1987, the group released Textures on Word Records’ Rejoice label. The album peaked at No. 7 and featured “Center of My Joy,” co-written with Bill and Gloria Gaither. The song’s gentle pop sensibility, combined with classical choral elements and a powerful gospel climax, helped introduce Smallwood to white Christian audiences and became a standard across genres. The group’s popularity even led to a historic concert tour of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s, reportedly making them the first gospel group to do so.

Beyond his own projects, Smallwood collaborated widely, providing background vocals for Candi Staton’s late-1980s gospel recordings and contributing to Quincy Jones’ Handel’s Messiah – A Soulful Celebration in 1992. By the early 1990s, he had recorded for nearly every major gospel label, experiences he later described candidly as both instructive and frustrating.

Eventually, Smallwood disbanded the Smallwood Singers and formed Vision, a large backing choir that supported a series of acclaimed albums. This era produced some of his most impactful work, including “Total Praise,” introduced in 2001. Written during a period of personal crisis involving serious illness in his family, the song became a global anthem of faith and surrender—far exceeding Smallwood’s own expectations.

His 2007 live album Journey: Live in New York featured guest appearances by Chaka Khan, Kelly Price, Kim Burrell, and members of the Hawkins family. His final studio release, Anthology (2015), included the gospel radio hit “Same God.” In 2019, Smallwood published his autobiography, Total Praise, offering a deeply personal account of his family history, creative journey, and struggles with grief and depression.

In recent years, declining health and mild dementia prevented him from recording, but music remained his spiritual refuge and primary form of ministry. Throughout his life, Smallwood emphasized that gospel music was not merely performance but service—an act of encouragement, testimony, and faith.

In addition to his Grammy® nominations, Smallwood received three Dove Awards and numerous Stellar Gospel Music Awards, solidifying his legacy as one of gospel music’s most influential composers.

Richard Smallwood is survived by his brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, and several godchildren. His music continues to be sung in churches, concert halls, and homes around the world—a lasting testament to a life devoted to faith, artistry, and excellence.

Article courtesy of Bill Carpenter.