Andraé Crouch

Widely regarded as the father of modern gospel music, vocalist, songwriter and producer Andrae Crouch helped to bridge the gap between the church and the charts during a pioneering career which spanned more than half a century. Crouch first started to spread the word as the leader of The Disciples in the mid-'60s, where he became a key figure of the burgeoning Jesus Music movement. His hymns and gospel compositions connected with a much wider audience thanks to covers by Elvis Presley and Paul Simon, and a string of solo records in which he collaborated with the cream of the R&B and jazz worlds. Crouch continued to push the genre into the mainstream throughout the 80s and 90s, arranging music for both pop superstars such as Madonna and Michael Jackson, and hit soundtracks including "The Color Purple" (1985) and "The Lion King" (1994). A seven-time Grammy winner, Oscar nominee and Gospel Hall of Fame inductee, few artists have combined the secular and the spiritual as successfully. His death on January 8, 2015 was mourned by gospel and secular audiences alike.