Richard Smallwood | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | November 30, 1948 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Origin | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Genres | Gospel |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, music director, pianist, arranger |
| Instrument(s) | Piano |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Labels | Onyx/Muscle Shoals Sound, Sparrow, Word, Capitol, Jive, Verity |
Richard Smallwood (born November 30, 1948, in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American gospel artist who formed The Richard Smallwood Singers in 1977 in Washington, D.C.
Richard Smallwood graduated cum laude from Howard University with a dual B.A. degree in classical vocal performance and piano, in addition to graduate work in the field of ethnomusicology. [1] Smallwood was a member of The Celestials, the first gospel group on Howard University's campus. That group was the first gospel act to appear at Switzerland's Montreux Jazz Festival. Smallwood was also a founding member of Howard's first gospel choir.
Smallwood's recording career began in 1982 with the album The Richard Smallwood Singers. The album spent 87 weeks on Billboard's Gospel chart. Its follow-up, Psalms was nominated for a Grammy. Two years later the album Textures was also nominated. Textures spawned the now-classic "Center Of My Joy" written by Richard Smallwood along with Bill and Gloria Gaither. Smallwood won his first Grammy, along with a Dove Award for his production on the Quincy Jones' gospel project Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration .
Smallwood's music has been recorded by artists such as Destiny's Child, Yolanda Adams, Karen Clark-Sheard, and many more. He accompanied opera legend Leontyne Price at a White House Christmas celebration during the Reagan administration. Smallwood, with his current group Vision, has recorded several successful projects for Verity records. He finished his master's degree in Divinity from Howard University in 2004 and was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2006.
Smallwood's next project was recorded live at the Hammerstein Ballroom at the Manhattan Center in New York. The concert features guests Kim Burrell on "Journey," Kelly Price on "Morning's Breaking," Chaka Khan on "Precious Is Your Name," as well as The Hawkins Family, Tramaine Hawkins, and the original roster of singers who comprised The Richard Smallwood Singers and Vision. [2] Aretha Franklin and The Clark Sisters would contribute to additional studio tracks to appear on the album. [3]
Among Smallwood's most popular songs are "Total Praise," composed in 1996 while he was experiencing sorrow in his life, and "I Love the Lord," popularized by singer Whitney Houston in the film, The Preacher's Wife . [4]
The 35th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 24, 1993 and recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. The nominations were announced on January 7, 1993. The evening's host was the American stand-up comedian Garry Shandling, who hosted the ceremony for the third time. The CBS network broadcast the show live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California.
The 33rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 20, 1991. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Quincy Jones was the night's biggest winner winning a total of six awards including Album of the Year.
Andraé Edward Crouch was an American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, record producer and pastor. Referred to as "the father of modern gospel music" by contemporary Christian and gospel music professionals, Crouch was known for his compositions "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power", "My Tribute " and "Soon and Very Soon". He collaborated on some of his recordings with famous and popular artists such as Stevie Wonder, El DeBarge, Philip Bailey, Chaka Khan, and Sheila E., as well as the vocal group Take 6, and many popular artists covered his material, including Bob Dylan, Barbara Mandrell, Paul Simon, Elvis Presley and Little Richard. In the 1980s and 1990s, he was known as the "go-to" producer for superstars who sought a gospel choir sound in their recordings; he appeared on a number of recordings, including Michael Jackson's "Man In the Mirror", Madonna's "Like a Prayer", and "The Power", a duet between Elton John and Little Richard. Crouch was noted for his talent of incorporating contemporary secular music styles into the gospel music he grew up with. His efforts in this area helped pave the way for early American contemporary Christian music during the 1960s and 1970s.
Priscilla Marie Winans Love, known professionally as CeCe Winans, is an American gospel singer. Winans has garnered 15 Grammy Awards, the most for a female gospel singer; 31 GMA Dove Awards, 17 Stellar Awards, 7 NAACP Image Awards, along with many other awards and honors to her credit including being one of the inaugural inductees into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame. Winans is considered one of the greatest gospel artists of all time, and is the most-awarded and best-selling gospel act of all time.
James Edward Cleveland was an American gospel singer, musician, and composer. Known as the "King of Gospel," Cleveland was a driving force behind the creation of the modern gospel sound by incorporating traditional black gospel, soul, pop, and jazz in arrangements for mass choirs.
The Clark Sisters are an American gospel vocal group originally consisting of five sisters: Jacky Clark Chisholm, Denise "Niecy" Clark-Bradford, Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark, Dorinda Clark-Cole, and Karen Clark Sheard. The Clark Sisters are the daughters of gospel musician and choral director Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. They are credited for helping to bring gospel music to the mainstream and are considered pioneers of contemporary gospel.
Yolanda Yvette Adams is an American gospel singer, actress, and host of her own nationally syndicated morning gospel show. She is one of the best-selling gospel artists of all time, having sold over 10 million albums worldwide. In addition to achieving multi-platinum status, she has won four Grammy Awards, four Dove Awards, five BET Awards, six NAACP Image Awards, six Soul Train Music Awards, two BMI Awards and sixteen Stellar Awards. She was the first Gospel artist to be awarded an American Music Award.
Elbernita "Twinkie" Dionne Clark is an American, Grammy Award-winning gospel singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, musician, and evangelist. Clark is best known as the chief executive writer and member of the American gospel singing group the Clark Sisters. Often called the "Mother of Contemporary Gospel Music"; NPR named her one of the 50 Great Voices. Known for her use of the Hammond Organ, she is often referred to as the "Queen of the B3 Hammond Organ", and was inducted into the Hammond Hall of Fame in 2014. She is a BMI Gospel Trailblazer honoree, and is the recipient of multiple Grammy Awards.
The Mississippi Mass Choir is an American gospel choir based in Jackson, Mississippi.
Vickie Winans is an American gospel singer.
Anthony Charles Williams II, better known by his stage name B.Slade, formerly known under the gospel moniker Tonéx, is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, dancer, producer, and activist from San Diego, CA. He has gone by various names and aliases, but his primary stage name of choice had for years been "Tonéx". In 2010, he began using the stage name B.Slade to rebrand himself.
Tamela Jean Mann is an American gospel singer and actress. She began her career as a singer with the gospel group Kirk Franklin and the Family. Mann was a primary vocalist on several tracks while with Franklin's group, including "Now Behold the Lamb", and "Lean on Me", the latter of which also included Mary J. Blige, Crystal Lewis, and Bono. She began her solo career by releasing the albums Gotta Keep Movin (2005), and The Master Plan (2009).
Vanessa Bell Armstrong is an American gospel singer who released her debut album Peace Be Still in 1983. Armstrong is a seven-time Grammy Award nominee, Stellar Award winner, and a Soul Train Award winner. She has worked with many in the industry such as, Mattie Moss Clark, Daryl Coley, The Clark Sisters, Rance Allen, James Cleveland, and a host of others. The Detroit native also has an honorary doctorate degree in theology from Next Dimension University, received at the West Angeles Cathedral in Los Angeles in 2017.
Kimberly Jean Burrell is an American gospel singer, songwriter, and pastor from Houston, Texas.
Donald Lawrence is an American gospel music songwriter, record producer and artist. He is best known for his Grammy Award-nominated songs "The Blessing of Abraham" and "Encourage Yourself".
Walter Lee Hawkins was an American gospel singer, songwriter, composer, and pastor. An influential figure in urban contemporary gospel music, his career spanned more than four decades. He was consecrated to the bishopric in 2000.
Ruthie Cecelia Foster is an American singer-songwriter of blues and folk music. She mixes a wide palette of American song forms, from gospel and blues to jazz, folk and soul. She has often been compared to Bonnie Raitt and Aretha Franklin.
Luther Barnes is a record producer, director, songwriter, composer and lead singer of Luther Barnes and the Sunset Jubilaires and the Red Budd Gospel Choir.
Ted Winn is a gospel recording artist and songwriter who first gained recognition as half of the award-winning Ted & Sheri gospel duo, with Sheri Jones-Moffett best known for their hits "Come Ye Disconsolate" and "Celebrate". Since 2009, Winn has been a popular solo artist with chart songs such as "The Lifter" and "God Believes in You" to his credit.
Hezekiah Xzavier Walker Jr. is an American gospel music artist and the pastor of Love Fellowship Tabernacle in Brooklyn, New York. Walker has released several albums on Benson Records and Verity Records as Hezekiah Walker & The Love Fellowship Crusade Choir.
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