Andraé Crouch, a gospel musician who bridged the worlds of church and mainstream music for more than 50 years, died Thursday afternoon. The 72-year-old singer, songwriter and choir director had been hospitalized since Saturday at Northridge Hospital Medical Center in the Los Angeles area after suffering a heart attack.
A San Francisco native who grew up in the Church of God in Christ, Crouch wrote his first gospel tune at age 14. By 1960, he had formed the Church of God in Christ Singers, a group that featured Billy Preston on keyboards.
He started another group, Andraé Crouch & the
Disciples, in 1965, eventually signing to a contemporary Christian
label, Light Records. Crouch brought a contemporary pop and R&B
melodic sensibility to gospel, making him uniquely suited to appeal to
both black and white audiences during the early days of the
counter cultural "Jesus movement" and also bringing him attention beyond
the church. Crouch survived multiple bouts with cancer and also suffered from diabetes. In early December, Crouch was hospitalized with pneumonia and congestive heart failure, forcing the cancellation of his Let the Church Say Amen Celebration tour, which had been scheduled to begin Dec. 6 in Philadelphia. He was re-admitted to the hospital Saturday with what his sister characterized in a statement as "serious health complications."
His popular songs include;
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