Entertainment

Andrae Crouch Remembered for Dedication to Gospel Music

Published

11 years ago

January 22, 2015

In this Sept. 1, 1996 file photo, Grammy winning gospel singer Andrae Crouch sings during service at the Christ Memorial church in Pacoima, Calif. Crouch, a legendary gospel performer, songwriter and choir director whose work graced songs by Michael Jackson and Madonna and movies such as The Lion King, has died at age 72. (AP Photo/Frank Wiese, File)

DERRIK J. LANG, AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Andrae Crouch was remembered at his funeral in Los Angeles for his dedication to spreading gospel music around the world.

The Grammy-winning gospel performer, songwriter and choir director was honored Wednesday during a service at the West Angeles Church of God in Christ. There were performances and appearances by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Yolanda Adams, Ledisi and many gospel luminaries.

“Andrae is the father of modern gospel,” said Jackson. “We cannot forget how hard he fought, not just to change people, but to change our society. Andrae is not just a local or national gospel singer. He is an international transformer, a historic figure that eclipsed his time and changed the course.”

Several attendees performed renditions of Crouch’s songs, backed by a band and 80-person choir. Wonder remembered first working with Crouch when he was asked to join in on the tune “I’ll Be Thinking of You,” which Wonder performed during Wednesday’s service.

“I was in the studio and someone said, ‘Andrae Crouch wants you to play harmonica on this song,'” Wonder recalled before playing. “I said I’ve always wanted to play harmonica for him on a song, so it’s truly an honor to be able to do this song again and celebrate his life. He blessed me as a friend.”

Other guests included Kirk Franklin, Shirley Caesar and BeBe, CeCe and Marvin Winans, who performed the eulogy.

“I thought these were just hymn songs,” Franklin said of Crouch’s deep discography. “I had no idea of the impact of this guy that was packing out Carnegie Hall, big arenas in London, tours and all of this big stuff.”

Crouch and his twin sister, Sandra Crouch, were pastors at the New Christ Memorial Church in the Los Angeles suburb of San Fernando. An emotional Sandra recalled her brother’s final days to the crowd gathered for the four-and-a-half-hour-long service.

“I tried to keep my twin here, but God said, ‘He’s suffered enough, and I want him home with me.'”

Sandra later lifted the mood by jokingly reminding everyone that her twin was born 30 minutes before her and was therefore her “opening act.”

Crouch was awarded seven Grammys throughout a career that spanned more than a half-century. His work graced songs by Michael Jackson and Madonna and movies such as “The Color Purple” and “The Lion King.”

Crouch died Jan. 8 at Northridge Hospital Medical Center, where he had been admitted after suffering a heart attack, according to his spokesman. He was 72.

___

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang.

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OP-ED: AB 1349 Puts Corporate Power Over Community

Since Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged in 2010, ticket prices have jumped more than 150 percent. Activities that once fit a family’s budget now take significant disposable income that most working families simply don’t have. The problem is compounded by a system that has tilted access toward the wealthy and white-collar workers. If you have a fancy credit card, you get “presale access,” and if you work in an office instead of a warehouse, you might be able to wait in an online queue to buy a ticket. Access now means privilege.

Published

6 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Oakland Post

Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

By Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

As a pastor, I believe in the power that a sense of community can have on improving people’s lives. Live events are one of the few places where people from different backgrounds and ages can share the same space and experience – where construction workers sit next to lawyers at a concert, and teenagers enjoy a basketball game with their grandparents. Yet, over the past decade, I’ve witnessed these experiences – the concerts, games, and cultural events where we gather – become increasingly unaffordable, and it is a shame.

These moments of connection matter as they form part of the fabric that holds communities together. But that fabric is fraying because of Ticketmaster/Live Nation’s unchecked control over access to live events. Unfortunately, AB 1349 would only further entrench their corporate power over our spaces.

Power over live events is concentrated in a single corporate entity, and this regime operates without transparency or accountability – much like a dictator. Ticketmaster controls 80 percent of first-sale tickets and nearly a third of resale tickets, but they still want more. More power, more control for Ticketmaster means higher prices and less access for consumers. It’s the agenda they are pushing nationally, with the help of former Trump political operatives, who are quietly trying to undo the antitrust lawsuit launched against Ticketmaster/Live Nation under President Biden’s DOJ.

That’s why I’m deeply concerned about AB 1349 in its current form. Rather than reining in Ticketmaster’s power, the bill risks strengthening it, aligning with Trump. AB 1349 gives Ticketmaster the ability to control a consumer’s ticket forever by granting Ticketmaster’s regime new powers in state law to prevent consumers from reselling or giving away their tickets. It also creates new pathways for Ticketmaster to discriminate and retaliate against consumers who choose to shop around for the best service and fees on resale platforms that aren’t yet controlled by Ticketmaster. These provisions are anti-consumer and anti-democratic.

California has an opportunity to stand with consumers, to demand transparency, and to restore genuine competition in this industry. But that requires legislation developed with input from the community and faith leaders, not proposals backed by the very company causing the harm.

Will our laws reflect fairness, inclusion, and accountability? Or will we let corporate interests tighten their grip on spaces that should belong to everyone? I, for one, support the former and encourage the California Legislature to reject AB 1349 outright or amend it to remove any provisions that expand Ticketmaster’s control. I also urge community members to contact their representatives and advocate for accessible, inclusive live events for all Californians. Let’s work together to ensure these gathering spaces remain open and welcoming to everyone, regardless of income or background.