The next project, Psalms received a Grammy nomination. The debut project spent 87 weeks on Billboard's Gospel chart. Richard began his recording career in 1982 with an album simply titled, The Richard Smallwood Singers. He also was recently inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and received the Distinguished Achievement Award from Howard University. Touching all areas of the arts, Richard and his singers toured with a theatrical musical, 'Sing Mahalia Sing' starring Jennifer Holiday, which segued into a guest appearance on television's 'Ryan's Hope' for ABC.

heralded two separate occasions as 'Richard Smallwood Day,' also, distinguishing him with the Mayoral Art Award for 'precision and excellence in artistic discipline.' Smallwood's gift has made room for him to minister to presidents and dignitaries at all of D.C.'s halls of fame, including the Smithsonian, the Kennedy Center and the White House. Richard Smallwood has been honored by the Smithsonian Institution as a 'gospel innovator and songwriter,' and his hometown, Washington, D.C. In addition, Richard was one of the founding members of Howard's first gospel choir, and The Richard Smallwood Singers were the first black gospel group to go to the Soviet Union. They were also the first gospel group to appear at Switzerland 's Montreux Jazz Festival. He was a member of the first gospel group on Howard's campus, The Celestials.

Richard Smallwood is attributed with many gospel 'firsts'. At age five, he was playing piano by ear, at seven, began formal training, and at eleven, formed his first gospel group. Richard graduated cum laude from renowned Howard University with degrees in both vocal performance and piano in addition to graduate work in the field of ethnomusicology. A diverse and innovative artist, Richard Smallwood has achieved many honors Dove Awards and a Grammy also attest to his talents. He can impeccably blend classical movements with traditional gospel, and arrive at a mix that is invariably Smallwood's alone. World-class composer, pianist and arranger, Richard Smallwood has clearly and solidly changed the face of gospel music.

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