Overview
- His family announced the news on verified social media, and tributes from figures including Sen. Raphael Warnock and Chaka Khan quickly followed.
- A representative confirmed he died at Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Ashton–Sandy Spring, Maryland.
- He fused classical technique with Black church traditions, founding the Richard Smallwood Singers in 1977 and later Vision, and earning eight Grammy nominations along with Dove and Stellar awards.
- Signature works such as Total Praise, I Love the Lord and Trust Me became modern standards, recorded or performed by Whitney Houston, Destiny’s Child, Boyz II Men and Stevie Wonder.
- In recent years he faced health challenges, including mild dementia, that curtailed recording and public appearances, and his family has requested privacy.