Sens. Scott and Warnock honor the life and legacy of Reverend Richard Smallwood
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Tim Scott (R-SC) and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) introduced a bipartisan resolution honoring the life and legacy of the late gospel music icon Reverend Richard Smallwood.
“Reverend Richard Smallwood’s music brought hope, joy, and strength to people of all backgrounds,” said Senator Tim Scott. “His voice transcended all genres of music. His heart pounded for the gospel of Jesus Christ. He pursued greatness in his industry because he knew Christ’s message needed to be heard in every corner of the music industry, and he achieved so many accolades – from the Gospel Music Hall of Fame to Grammy and Dove Awards – because his talents appealed to believers across every generation. Rev. Smallwood’s legacy is a life well lived in service to the Lord, lifting countless people closer to God. I am glad to see this resolution honoring his life pass with unanimous agreement on the Senate floor.”
“He poured his soul and his song into the work that he was going to do. There is an elegance and a simplicity to Richard’s music. It draws you in without a whole lot of fanfare,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “We remember a composer, a director, a musician, a singer. He had many gifts, and he poured them all out for the building of the Beloved Community and to the glory of God, and all of us are the blessed beneficiaries of what he left behind. So today we remember him not in silence but in song, not only with sorrow, but with gratitude, because a life like the one he lived in truth does not end. It echoes.”
Smallwood was born in 1948 in Atlanta and raised in Washington, D.C., where he learned piano by ear as a child, studied at Howard University, and later founded the Richard Smallwood Singers (1977). Smallwood was a respected figure in the faith community. He earned multiple honors during a career that included eight Grammy nominations, Dove and Stellar awards, and induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. He is widely credited with helping bridge traditional church music, classical influences, and contemporary R&B textures, crafting arrangements that choirs and soloists still sing today.
See the resolution text honoring Rev. Smallwood here.
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