Richard Smallwood, 77, the world-renowned gospel singer with deep roots in Washington, D.C., died early Tuesday in Sandy Spring, Maryland, due to complications with kidney failure, according to his publicist Bill Carpenter.
“The gift that Richard Smallwood brought was the polish of classical music and combined it with traditional Black church music to create a unique yet contemporary sound in the1980s,” Carpenter, who dedicated an entire chapter on Smallwood in his book “Uncloudy Days: The Gospel Encyclopedia” (2005), told The Washington Informer in February 2024.
Known for church staples such as “Total Praise” (1996) and “Center of My Joy (2016),” the Gospel Music Hall of Famer is being celebrated as a legend who shaped generations of communities through the rhythm of faith, leaving an indelible legacy of respect and honor.
“To compose songs like ‘Total Praise,’ ‘Angels Watching Over Me’ (1996), ‘Trust Me’ (2011), takes ingenuity,” one social media user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, shortly after the announcement of the singer’s death. “Richard Smallwood was an actual genius who was often overlooked for the type of music he composed.”
For more than five decades, the eight-time Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter has contributed to the gospel canon and influenced musicians across genres, with artists such as Destiny’s Child, Yolanda Adams, Karen Clark-Sheard, and many more recording renditions of some of Smallwood’s famous tunes. Further, his music remains on the airwaves and is sung by choirs around the world to this day.
Joyce Garrett, minister of Music at Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, said she has “been in awe of [Smallwood’s] talents since the 1970s when the Howard University Gospel Choir recorded its first album.”
“As soon as Richard Smallwood recorded a new song, I would teach it to my students at Eastern High School,” Garrett told The Informer in November 2023.
From the hits on his 1996 album “Adoration” to “I Love the Lord,” famously sung by Whitney Houston in “The Preacher’s Wife,” released the same year, and his indelible contributions to music overall, Smallwood’s death comes as a major blow to fans across the world.
“Richard Smallwood passing hits hard. ‘Healing’ has saved me more times than I can count,” read one tribute posted on X. “[His] catalog is full of soul-shifting music—he will be missed.”
Smallwood’s Sound Forms in the District
Born in Atlanta, the legendary gospel singer was raised in the District by his mother Mabel R. Smallwood and stepfather the Rev. Chester Smallwood, who was the visionary behind and first pastor of Union Temple Baptist Church in Southeast D.C.
Before he became an eight-time Grammy-nominated musician, Smallwood was a gospel prodigy on the cusp of innovation at Howard University, where he earned his degree in music and studied alongside Donny Hathaway, Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allen.
As one of the founding members of Howard University’s Gospel Choir, and a member of the historically Black institution’s first gospel group, the Celestials, the young virtuoso had since taken the reins on establishing a platform to bridge faith and entertainment across generations.
“The many facets of your life in ministry…your spoken and written eloquence…your ear for the melodies and harmonies and hymns to transport audiences,” the Rev. Dr. Cheryl J. Sanders of Howard University School of Divinity wrote in a statement celebrating Smallwood’s 75th birthday in 2023. “A Diamond is treasured for its many facets.”
Smallwood went on to teach music at the University of Maryland before launching his artistry full force with the 1977 founding of the Richard Smallwood Singers, made up of Dottie Jones, Jackie Ruffin, Darlene Simmons and the founder himself.
The group’s musical imprint lies in bringing forth a contemporary and progressive sound to gospel music, which led to timeless classics such as: the 1984 Grammy-nominated album “Psalms” and what many consider the group’s biggest hit, “Center of My Joy.”
With his group Vision, Smallwood recorded several projects for Verity records.
“I don’t know that I have all the answers or any of the answers,” he once said in a 1993 Washington Post interview. “But being a minister of music, I need to be open to listen and give a word of encouragement through songs of testimony. Singing is only part of it. The ministry itself is much more than that.”
The celebrated received a master’s in Divinity from Howard University in 2004 and was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2006.
In November 2023, gospel artists and fans alike flocked to First Baptist Church of Highland Park to honor Smallwood for his 75th birthday, performing many of his classic songs.
After having witnessed several singers and choirs pay tribute to his career, the singer shared a few short words with the crowd, thanking them for the honor.
“This has been one of the most amazing moments in my life,” he said a little more than two years ago.
Leaders, Fans Celebrate Smallwood’s Legacy
Artists, fans, and faith and political leaders are remembering Smallwood’s musical contributions and honoring his life and legacy.
“Richard Smallwood was a Black American Music legend,” musician and X user J. Clyde Neal wrote. “A Howard grad, and one of those architects of Black music I always talk about. ‘Total Praise’ is one of the greatest gospel songs ever written. Rest in power.”
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), senior pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, shared a tribute to the man he deems an inspiration “to all who encountered his music.”
“Richard Smallwood was a musical genius and giant of a figure in the church and the gospel music world,” the Georgia congressman wrote on X. “His songs got us through tough times, dark and difficult days. No grave can silence his voice. The melodies linger and the faith lives on!”