'Father of Modern Gospel' Andrae Crouch dies at 72

'Father of Modern Gospel' Andrae Crouch dies at 72
(Image credit: Royce DeGrie/Getty Images)

Andrae Crouch, a legendary gospel singer, composer, and producer who worked with some of the biggest names in music over the course of his career, died Thursday. He was 72.

Crouch and his sister, Sandra Crouch, were pastors at New Christ Memorial Church in the Los Angeles area. Crouch wrote his first gospel song at the age of 14, The Associated Press reports, and his songs were eventually recorded by Elvis Presley and Paul Simon. Crouch worked with Michael Jackson on "Man in the Mirror," "Will You Be There," and "Earth Song," and led the choir on Madonna's "Like a Prayer."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.