Richard Smallwood

Quick facts about Richard Smallwood

Early Life

Richard Smallwood was born in Atlanta on November 30, 1948. He moved to Washington DC with his mother, Mabel Smallwood at the age of 10, and his step-father, Rev. Chester L. Smallwood. Smallwood served as a musician and choir director of Metropolitan Baptist Church in Northwest Washington, where he has been a member for over 30 years.

In his early years, Smallwood listened a lot to Ella Fitzgerald which was usually played by his mum. By 7, he was taking music lessons which continued till he was 15. He couldn’t read music but could only play by ear, memorizing the chords.

Richard Smallwood started his first gospel music group when he was 11, with kids from his neighborhood in Northeast Washington. In his eighth grade at Browne Junior High, Smallwood had a new graduate of music major from Howard as his teacher, named Roberta Flack.

Richard Smallwood later attended McKinley Technology high school, where he auditioned for a music program at Howard. The instructor observed that he couldn’t read music, but took him in if he was ready to learn.

Beginning in 1967, Smallwood majored in classical piano, with a minor in voice at Howard. At Howard, Richard Smallwood was mentored by a brilliant music major named Dony Hathaway. Hathaway taught him how to play a jazz version of the hymn, Nothing but the Blood.

A Career in Music

Richard Smallwood obtained cum laude degrees from Howard University in vocal performance and piano. Smallwood was part of “The Celestials”, the first gospel music group in Howard University.  

Smallwood formed Howard’s first gospel choir, which was also when he wrote one of his biggest song hits, I Love the Lord while sitting in a basement in the fine arts department. 

Richard Smallwood graduated from Howard in 1971 and with his music group, they released eight albums between 1982 and 1996. Smallwood began his career in 1982, and his first album, The Richard Smallwood Singers, lasted 87 weeks on Billboard’s Gospel Chart, driven by his previous big hit, I Love the Lord. His album that followed, Psalms, got a Grammy nomination. He released Textures two years after, which also got a Grammy nomination. Richard won his first Grammy Award, with a Dove Award for his production on the Quincy Jones’ gospel project, Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration. 

He concluded his Master’s degree in Divinity in 2004 from Howard University. One of his most popular songs, Total Praise, was composed in 1996 when he was going through a life crisis, and I Love the Lord, which was made popular by Whitney Houston in the movie, The Preacher’s Wife. 

Richard Smallwood is highly respected for his arguably unique achievement of blending gospel music with classical music with his Album Center of My Joy. Some gospel artists, like Kirk Franklin, achieved fame and success by mixing in hip hop, but Smallwood has remained consistent with his classical music. 

Jacquie Gales Webb, who has been hosting a popular gospel segment on Washington’s WHUR radio for over 20 years says Smallwood’s songs are very unique because of the importance of the piano — not electric piano or keyboard playing, but a grand-piano style. He said, “No matter what genre he’s playing, in his music the piano is the prominent feature. That’s how you know it’s a Richard Smallwood song.” 

Gospel legend, Bobby Jones hosted a one-hour show on BET for almost 4 decades. Jones says “Smallwood’s music is unlike any other artists. You listen for what his words are. You’re going to hear clarity. The audience loves it, and they go into an atmosphere of praising and worship.” 

In August 2015, 2000 persons who had waited for hours filled the Evangel Cathedral in Upper Marlboro, Md., watching Smallwood and his music group, Vision record his 15th album, Anthology Live, which was released in July and ranked No.1 album on iTunes gospel list. 

Three of his 15 albums ranked as No.1 in Billboard magazine’s gospel category. His songs have been translated into German, Korean, Hebrew languages with a host of others.

Textures

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Portrait

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Promises

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