Gospel Legend and Howard Alumnus Richard Smallwood and ‘The Wire’ Star Isiah Whitlock Jr. Pass Away at 77 and 71

Two towering figures in Black culture—one who shaped the sound of modern worship, the other who redefined character acting on prestige television—died Tuesday, leaving behind legacies that transcended their respective crafts and touched millions.

Richard Smallwood: The Voice Behind ‘Total Praise’

Richard Smallwood, the Grammy-nominated gospel composer and worship leader whose music became the soundtrack of Black church life for generations, died Tuesday from complications related to kidney failure at the Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Maryland. He was 77.

A classically trained pianist, songwriter, and choir director, Smallwood created some of the most enduring worship songs of the modern gospel canon, including “Total Praise,” “Trust Me,” and “I’ll Trust You.” His music didn’t just stay in sanctuaries—it crossed into mainstream culture through voices like Whitney Houston and Destiny’s Child.

Houston famously recorded Smallwood’s “I Love the Lord” for The Preacher’s Wife soundtrack in 1996, introducing his work to an even broader audience. Destiny’s Child later paid tribute to his legacy by performing “Total Praise” as part of their 2007 a cappella “Gospel Medley,” cementing his influence across generations and genres.

Born in November 1948 in Atlanta, Smallwood was raised in Washington, D.C., where his musical gifts emerged early. He began playing piano at just five years old and formed his first gospel group by age 11. A proud Howard University alumnus, Smallwood earned a degree in music and was a member of the school’s first gospel ensemble, the Celestials.

In 1977, he founded the Richard Smallwood Singers, later signing with Onyx Records and releasing their self-titled debut album in 1982. The project spent an astonishing 87 weeks on Billboard’s Spiritual Album Sales chart. Their 1984 album Psalms earned Smallwood his first Grammy nomination, and the group went on to release several more acclaimed records.

In the early 1990s, Smallwood disbanded the Singers and formed Vision, a choir that would accompany him through multiple albums over the next two decades. Their song “Trust Me” reached No. 9 on the Hot Gospel Songs chart and earned Smallwood his final Grammy nomination in 2012 for best gospel song.

Smallwood earned eight Grammy nominations and multiple Dove and Stellar Awards across his career. In 2019, he published Total Praise: The Autobiography, offering readers a deeply personal look at his family, faith, and musical journey. In his later years, Smallwood lived with mild dementia and other health challenges that limited his ability to record new music—but his existing body of work continued to minister to listeners worldwide.

Richard Smallwood is survived by his brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, and godchildren.

Isiah Whitlock Jr.: Master of the Unforgettable Character

Isiah Whitlock Jr., the veteran character actor whose work helped define a generation of television, died Tuesday in New York at age 71 after battling a short illness, according to his manager, Brian Liebman.

For many viewers, Whitlock will forever be remembered as the morally slippery State Sen. R. Clayton “Clay” Davis on HBO’s The Wire. Appearing across all five seasons of David Simon’s landmark series, Whitlock’s Clay Davis was equal parts charm and corruption—a politician audiences loved to hate. After recurring in the show’s first four seasons, Whitlock joined the main cast in Season 5, fully cementing his place in television history.

It was in The Wire that Whitlock delivered what would become his signature line—a drawn-out, unmistakable “Sheeeeeit.” In a 2008 interview, Whitlock said the delivery was inspired by his uncle Leon. When he later brought it to The Wire, writers began scripting it directly into the show. The phrase took on a life of its own, becoming one of television’s most recognizable vocal trademarks.

“I was in, I think, Grand Central Station and far away I heard someone say it and they’d be kind of smiling,” Whitlock recalled. “I’m glad people enjoy it.”

Born in South Bend, Indiana, Whitlock began his acting journey after college when he joined San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater. From there, he built a career defined not by flash but by precision—the kind of character work that quietly anchors scenes and elevates entire projects.