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Remembering Andrae Crouch

Music fans from across the globe are pouring into a Los Angeles church Wednesday to say farewell to gospel legend, Andrae Crouch. The 72-year-old musician and singer died on January 8th from a heart attack. The 7-time Grammy award-winner was known as the Father of Modern Gospel Music. KMUW’s Carla Eckels brings us this remembrance…

Gospel pioneer Andrae Crouch spent five decades creating music. Elvis Presley, Paul Simon and Marvin Winans have recorded his songs. He’s also known for his work with Michael Jackson and Madonna. Crouch is credited with helping to bring contemporary Christian music into the church. I talked with Crouch back in back in 1997, and asked him why even then his gospel music was considered timeless.

"I think maybe because it quotes the word, the simplicity of the word and I basically kind of use simple melodies that’s the way I hear it and I try to make it where whatever culture you are from, it’s singable."

"I don’t try to overdose a song with a lot of hubla, hubla, hubla, a lot of licks and things like that I keep it simple so if a person doesn’t do a lot of acrobatics in their voice they can sing it or if a person does, they can add to it so that makes applicable for the average John Doe so to speak."

"And because the way they come through me is the anointing of God and the way I want it to be heard is not to exalt me but it is really to exalt the Lord so whoever sings a solo it doesn’t really matter if it’s me it’s got to be the right person the right voice to present that song."

"So I deny myself of saying I’m going to sing that song cause it’s a great song I want to sell the song to the hearts of the people more so than sell myself."

"I think people are really hungry for the real truth of God and not just a hand-clap foot-stomp because that soon fades out."

Credit christianexaminer.com
Andrae Crouch is one of few gospel artists to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

  "People want to hold on to something that they can really bite into that will be as strong—It just will come from the heart of God the music must come from the heart of God if you want to see it do the work that it’s suppose to accomplish in this world."

Andrae Crouch is one of only a handful of gospel artists to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His music will surely live on for generations.

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Andrea Crouch funeral will be streamed live Wednesday at 1:00 pm (CST) on Cable network BET

Carla Eckels is Director of Organizational Culture at KMUW. She produces and hosts the R&B and gospel show Soulsations and brings stories of race and culture to The Range with the monthly segment In the Mix. Carla was inducted into The Kansas African American Museum's Trailblazers Hall of Fame in 2020 for her work in broadcast/journalism.