Gospel singer, songwriter, and producer Andraé Crouch has passed away at the age of 72.
Crouch had been in a Los Angeles area hospital since Saturday after suffering a heart attack. The “father of modern gospel music” was recently hospitalized for pneumonia and congestive heart failure, and had also dealt with cancer and diabetes. Updates of his condition had been posted regularly on his official Facebook page.
A San Francisco native, Crouch has been in the gospel arena for more than 50 years. His discography dates back to 1969 as Andraé Crouch and The Disciples, and a solo album was released in 2013 titled Live in Los Angeles. Crouch’s choirs have had their vocals on hits like Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror and Will You Be There.
His songwriting and producer expertise has been linked to artists like Quincy Jones, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder and Elton John. Crouch earned 7 Grammy Awards and multiple Billboard, ASCAP, and NAACP awards. Film musical credits include songwriter for “Maybe God’s Trying to Tell You Something” from The Color Purple, which earned him an Oscar nomination, and arranger and choral conductor for Disney’s The Lion King. His musical genius was well recognized.
Crouch served as Senior Pastor, along with his twin sister Sandra, at Christ Memorial Church of God in Christ, located in Pacoima, California. He will be greatly missed.