Richard Smallwood died from complications related to kidney failure at the age of 77.

Cause of death

Multiple news outlets and statements from his representative and family report that Richard Smallwood passed away due to complications of kidney failure. He died at Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Sandy Spring, Maryland, just after midnight on a Tuesday in late December 2025.

Quick context

Richard Smallwood was a Grammy-nominated gospel singer, pianist, and composer whose songs like “Total Praise” and “I Love the Lord” became standards in modern gospel music. In recent years he had been dealing with “mild dementia and a variety of other health issues,” which had already limited his ability to perform and record before his death.