Lecresia Campbell
Lecresia Campbell | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 30, 1962 |
| Died | September 29, 2016 (aged 53) |
| Genres | Gospel |
| Occupation | Soprano singer |
| Years active | 1984–2016 |
Lecresia M. Campbell (October 30, 1962 – September 29, 2016) was an American soprano gospel singer noted for her incredibly high and wide vocal range.[1]
Career
Campbell began singing from a young age, and by 1984 was performing with the Children of Israel choir of Cade Chapel from Chicago.[2] She released her debut album Draw Me Near, which debuted at number 31 on the Billboard charts spiritual albums.[3] It reached number 30 and stayed on the charts for 13 weeks.[4] She performed in the 1980s with other famous gospel singers such as Bobby Jones.[5]
She made her singing breakthrough in 1990 with the acclaimed Perfect Praise. She provided the lead vocals on the song, accompanied by Walt Whitman & the Soul Children of Chicago.[6] She received a degree in applied voice from Tougaloo College, and taught in elementary school for eight years.[7] She also worked with Milton Brunson's Thompson Community Singers and the Mississippi Mass Choir.[8]
She worked as a backup vocalist for Vanessa Bell Armstrong while concurerntly paving her own solo career.[7] She stayed in the South in her adulthood, including in Montgomery, Alabama,[9] and sang with countless choirs across churches and other gospel events.[10] In 1999, she starred in David E. Talbert's Mr. Right Now.[11] In 2000, she starred in His Woman, His Wife, along with lead actor Malik Yoba.[12] In 2003, she starred in Laterras Whitfield's Tell it to the Judge, along with Greg Mathis.[13]
Discography
- Draw Me Near (1986)
- Even Me (1998)
Reputation
Campbell was famed in gospel circles and in Black church communities. Chris Fenner, editor for the Hymnology Archive at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary stated "She had one of those coloratura soprano voices. She had an amazing range..."[14] On her starring in a 1991 production of Tintypes; Sid Smith of the Chicago Tribune said that "Campbell's silvery gospel vocals are the best thing about the show..."[15]
Personal life and death
Campbell was born in Chicago in 1962.[6] She died on September 29, 2016[6] of a pulmonary embolism after a short time in physical rehabilitation[10] following a stroke.[16] She is buried at Westview Cemetery in Atlanta.
Her sister, Felicia, is the founder and pastor at Love, Faith & Hope Lutheran Church in Chicago.[17]
References
- ↑ Shelley, Braxton D. (2021-04-20). Healing for the Soul: Richard Smallwood, the Vamp, and the Gospel Imagination. Oxford University Press. p. 236. ISBN 978-0-19-756648-0.
- ↑ "Cade Chapel Choir events". Clarion-Ledger. 1984-07-27. p. 87. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
- ↑ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. 1986-12-27. p. 70.
- ↑ Burton, John, Jr. (2016-10-02). "Gospel Community Mourns Passing of Lecresia Campbell". GospelFlava.com. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Chicago singer to be in concert". Flint Journal. 1987-04-11. p. 10. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
- 1 2 3 Marovich, Bob (2016-09-29). "Gospel Vocalist Lecresia Campbell Passes Away". Journal of Gospel Music. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
- 1 2 "Lecresia Campbell". Kennedy Center. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
- ↑ "One of Gospel Music's Giant Has Passed — Ms. Lecresia Campbell". Spirit 1340. 2016-09-30. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
- ↑ "Ninth Annual Greater Gospelfest Crusade starts next week". Hartford Courant. 1997-04-17. p. 26. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
- 1 2 "Birmingham gospel favorite Lecresia Campbell passes away". MyBirminghamGOSPEL.com. 2016-09-30. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
- ↑ Shirley, Don (1999-04-16). "The Search for 'Mr. Right Now!' Pays Off With Lots of Panache". Los Angeles Times. p. 103. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
- ↑ "Malik Yoba Stars in His Woman His Wife, in NYC, Feb. 15". Playbill. 2000-02-15. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
- ↑ "TV's Judge Mathis comes to Landmark". Post-Standard. 2023-10-23. p. 41. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
- ↑ Fenner, Chris (2025-10-14). Hymns & Devotions for Daily Worship: African American Edition. Hymnology Archive. pp. 27a. ISBN 979-8-218-83706-8.
- ↑ Smith, Sid (1991-04-16). "'Tintypes' does almost everything right". Chicago Tribune. p. 57. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
- ↑ Faust, Aliya (2016-09-30). "R.I.P.: Gospel Singer Lecresia Campbell Has Passed". Praise 106.1. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
- ↑ "Home | Love Faith Hope Church". Love Faith Hope. Archived from the original on 2023-02-06. Retrieved 2026-04-18.