Gospel music legend Richard Smallwood dies at 77, leaving an enduring legacy of worship
The gospel music world is mourning the loss of a giant. Richard Smallwood, the Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and composer whose music reshaped modern worship, has died at the age of 77.
For decades, Smallwood's music did more than fill sanctuaries — it shaped how worship sounded and felt for churches across generations. Revered as both a musical scholar and a spiritual guide, his compositions blended classical structure, traditional gospel, and Pentecostal praise in a way few had ever achieved.
"He was the perfect mix of the educated Negro and the Pentecostal pastor," said Bishop William Murphy, senior pastor and founder of The dReam Center Church of Atlanta. "He was able to bring balance between the anthem, the hymn and the spiritual song."
Murphy says Smallwood's influence on his ministry began when he was just a teenager.
"Angels Watching Over Me… Total Praise… all of these songs fused traditional gospel, classical gospel, praise and worship, and hymns," Murphy said. "That was Dr. Smallwood."
Born in Atlanta and raised in Washington, D.C., Smallwood began playing piano at just five years old. He later graduated from Howard University, where his musical foundation flourished.
"Howard University birthed one of the best and brightest of HBCUs," said Jamal Bryant, senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, reflecting on Smallwood's early beginnings.
Smallwood went on to form The Richard Smallwood Singers, producing music that would become sacred standards in Black churches across the country. Songs like "Trust Me," "I Love the Lord," and "Total Praise" transcended choir lofts — embraced by congregations as communal prayers set to music.
His influence was celebrated publicly during a 75th birthday musical tribute at First Baptist Church of Highland Park in Landover, Maryland — a moment many now see as a powerful living testament to his impact.
Over the course of his career, Smallwood earned eight Grammy nominations, along with multiple Dove and Stellar Awards. But those closest to the music say accolades were never the point.
"It was beyond gifting — what we would call the anointing," Murphy said. "The Spirit of God got on the gift and empowered it."
As tributes continue to pour in, leaders say Smallwood's greatest legacy lies in his refusal to separate excellence from spirituality.
"He was the embodiment of Black excellence," Murphy said. "An architect who took what was Pentecostal and apostolic and made it classical — without losing the oil."
As Total Praise continues to echo in churches across the world, Richard Smallwood's music remains what it has always been — a bridge between faith, culture and generations, and a soundtrack to worship that will endure far beyond his lifetime.