Category: Passings

Originally published Jan. 15, 2021 at 7:11 PM
Updated Feb. 7, 2021 at 8:22 AM

By Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever

Evangelist Duranice Pace, member of family group The Anointed Pace Sisters, passed Thursday (Jan. 14, 2021) from health complications. She was 62. GMF extends sincere condolences to the family during this understandably difficult time.

Pace had a soaring, soulful voice and sound that were inimitable. She experienced recurring Internet virality, especially since Thanksgiving 2017 (see related post, “‘I’ll Always Be Thankful’ – Duranice Pace ft. The Pace Family”), for her holiday singing at Pace family gatherings and for her on-the-spot encouragement in song to people in restaurants, retail stores, and airports.

In November 2020, many fans and followers learned Evangelist Pace was hospitalized when her sister and niece posted live Facebook videos showing family members visiting, singing, and praying with her from outside a hospital window on Thanksgiving Day. Since then, the family, including Evangelist Pace’s only son, DeMarcus Love, has continued to ask the public for prayer. Supporters of the preaching songstress were also invited to encourage her by posting themselves on her social media platforms singing their favorite Duranice Pace song.

Biographical information posted on the Church of God In Christ International Mass Choir Facebook page reads:

Born May 13, 1958, in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in a small community called Poole Creek to the union of Superintendent Murphy Pace, Jr. [d. 2008] and Bettie Pace [d. 2020], Evangelist Duranice Pace was destined and preordained to sing His praises and to preach and teach the Word as a dynamic woman of God.

The second-born child of ten children in all (brother, Bishop Murphy Pace, III transitioned in 2011), Evangelist Pace grew up singing in school and community talent shows while traveling from church to church singing and making hearts glad with her unique, strong, God-given voice. She graduated from the Walter F. George High School in Atlanta, Georgia. She continued her education at the O.R.M. Word Processing School in Atlanta and also Andrew College in LaGrange Georgia where she majored in music under a music scholarship.

Together, Evangelist Pace and her eight sisters (Phyllis, June, Lashun, Melonda, Dejuaii, Leslie, Latrice and Lydia) joined to form the legendary, iconic gospel group, The Anointed Pace Sisters. These extraordinary women of God have been nominated [for] and performed at the Stellar Awards [and have made] appearances in blockbuster movies such as “The Fighting Temptations” with Beyoncé Knowles and Cuba Gooding, Jr., and Tyler Perry’s “Madea’s Family Reunion.”

The Anointed Pace Sisters released five albums during their tenure: 1992’s “U-Know” with Savoy Records, 1995’s “My Purpose” again with Savoy, then 2003’s “It’s Already Done” by their own label Gospel Pace, 2006’s “Return” by Tyscot Records, and 2009’s “Access Granted” from Tyscot Records. The group’s albums “U-Know,” “My Purpose,” “Return,” and “Access Granted” charted on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart. Recently, The Anointed Pace Sisters were blessed with the opportunity to use their voices on numerous commercials for Jiffy Lube International, Incorporated. Evangelist Pace also enjoyed travel as a featured vocalist with Ambassador Dr. Bobby Jones and his Nashville Super Choir.

In January 2020, Evangelist Pace’s autobiography, “Poison to Purpose: A Gospel Legend’s Journey” was released on Noah’s Ark Publishing. The famed gospel singer also released a few solo projects independently, including 2013’s “Just Duranice,” and 2019’s “The Making of A Solider.”

A daughter of the Church Of God In Christ, Evangelist Pace was a Jurisdictional Elect-Lady of Evangelism and National Evangelist, who has been blessed to minister to U.S. & Korean soldiers. Evangelist Pace has traveled across this country and around the world preaching and singing for God. Evangelist Pace also founded The Anointed Word Restoration Fellowship Church in Christiansburg, Virginia.

In addition to her sisters, Evangelist Pace leaves to cherish her legacy her only begotten son, Mr. DeMarcus Wardell Love, along with a great host of nieces, nephews, cousins, her fellow gospel artists, and industry friends.

In 2013, Evangelist Pace and her sisters were featured on OWN’s Iyanla: Fix My Life. They appeared on the show again in 2019. Her other recent appearances included an emotional interview and performance on Steve Harvey’s talk show Steve, also in 2019, and an interview on TV One’s Sister Circle Live last year.

Steve Harvey reflected Thursday on Twitter. “Duranice Pace spoke favor into my life one day, at a time when I really needed it. She was one of those special souls. Rest In Peace”

Duranice Pace spoke favor into my life one day, at a time when I really needed it. She was one of those special souls. Rest In Peace pic.twitter.com/CyLoVRJCX5

— Steve Harvey (@IAmSteveHarvey) January 15, 2021

“I’m inspired because I love people, and it makes me happy to see people smile,” Evangelist Pace told VoyageATL last March. “This is why I call my business a healing ministry because people ask me to help heal them and make them feel better. I know it’s not coming from me, but from God and I’m so thankful that I can help touch people’s hearts.”

“Whether you knew my mom thirty years or thirty minutes, you know you felt the love of God through her,” said her son DeMarcus to 11Alive News Friday. “The love Mom gave, she gave to everyone. Love is and will forever be her legacy.”

There will not be a public viewing or homegoing service. A privately recorded virtual concert celebrating Evangelist Pace’s life will premiere Tuesday, February 9, at 8 PM ET on duraniceapace.com. The celebration features performances by LaShun Pace, Le’Andria Johnson, DeMarcus Love, Leslie Pace, Bishop Kervy Brown, Kevin Lemons, and others.

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Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever

Val Alexander, a longtime guitarist and member of The Gospel Keynotes, died December 15, 2020.

According to his obituary:

Val Alexander, Jr. was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Val Alexander, Sr. and Elizabeth Emanuel Alexander. He was born and raised in the city of Greensboro and is a Class of 1967 Graduate of Dudley High School. He was married to Beatrice Alexander who preceded him in death. He was the youngest of nine children. His mother gave him a guitar for Christmas when he was a teenager. He taught himself to play and used his talent to bless people throughout the United States and around the world. He is one of the Original Gospel Keynotes.

He and his wife Beatrice lived in New Jersey for a period of time until they decided to settle down in Union Springs, Alabama to be close to her mother. To their union they had one daughter Simone Alexander. He left Union Springs and relocated to Greensboro (NC) in 1997 when his mother became ill. He came off the road of singing gospel music to take care of his mother and was able to gain employment working for the Industries of the Blind where he served as Assistant Supervisor. He also continued to play for the Original Gospel Keynotes part-time.

Upon returning to Greensboro he used his skill of playing the guitar to teach, promote and play for local groups as well as his church Mt. Pleasant Christian Church Disciples of Christ for which he had been a member since 1963. He played for the Mattie Alston and the Voices of Praise, The Sons of Zion, The True Tones, The JJ Gospel Singers, and the Harmonizing Five to mention a few. Val was a loving and devoted husband, father, son, brother, and uncle. He was very humble and quiet and soft-spoken.

Some years ago when I first met Val, he shared with me that he traveled with Willie Neal Johnson and The Gospel Keynotes – whose notable songs include “Show Me the Way” and “Jesus, You’ve Been Good to Me” – for approximately 25 years. I continued to see him every year when he came to the church where I serve as minister of music. Without fail, he’d come to where I was, shake my hand, and share a word of encouragement. Eventually, he asked me about collaborating on some music he was working on for an upcoming project. As we now see, our plans are not always God’s plans.

In recent years, I took notice of him again traveling and playing with the Original Gospel Keynotes. Watching him was watching a legend who influenced many present-day guitar greats.

Criss “Righteous” Johnson, longtime guitarist for Pastor Shirley Caesar posted on Facebook, “Mr. ‘Val Alexander’ from one of the greatest ‘Quartet Gospel’ singing groups of all time….(The Country Boy) ‘Willie Neal Johnson And The Gospel Keynotes’ of Tyler, Tx.” He included the hashtag #whatanincredibleinfluencer.

Kevin Wilson, CEO and founder of the International Musicians Summit, also offered reflections on social media. “Val Alexander, Sugar Hightower, Spanky Alford & Al Dent are musicians and friends I’ve had the honor of sharing the stage with! I truly miss all of them. Rest well Val-e Joe!!! I’ll never forget the years we shared music and ideas. #Legends”

“Rest Well Mr. Val Alexander,” shared multi-genre guitarist Fitz McGill on Facebook. McGill, who has worked with Tyler Perry and Kelly Price, among others, continued, “For those of you that don’t know who this man is he was the guitarist for the Quartet group The Gospel Keynotes. Starting around the age of 9 years old when My father would take me to the quartet programs he would convince the promotor [sic] to allow me to be the opening act. Mr. Val starting sowing chords and encouragement backstage that pushed me to excel as a guitarist. Throughout the years of life, he would mentor, teach, and show me little things about the guitar and pedals. Thank you brother for all you sowed into our lives. My condolences to the family and the community of Quartet Music.”

Pastor John P. Kee took to Instagram to pay tribute as well, noting, “He was so kind to me when I entered the industry!”

I join countless others in sending prayers up for the Alexander family and all who grieve the passing of Val, a humble man who now rests from labor.

GMF was sad to learn of the passing of Ora Watkins-Jones, perhaps best known as a lead vocalist for the Southwest Michigan State Choir of the Church of God in Christ, under the direction of Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. Her family certainly is in our thoughts and prayers during this emotional time.

Read more from Bob Marovich at the Journal of Gospel Music.

Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever

Ladies of De’Voted as well as their supporters recently bade farewell to group members Anita Mechelle Fairley and Jennifer “Jaye” Boykin. Fairley and Boykin passed away just five days apart on December 5th and December 10th, at the ages of 51 and 46, respectively. Boykin transitioned one day short of her 47th birthday.

Ladies of De’Voted is a female quartet-styled group based in Sanford, NC. Among their well-known songs are “All Over Me” and “Move in This Place,” both featured on their CD titled, Grace (2016). “As for Me” from their project titled, Joshua 24:15 (2018) was a frequently requested song on The Gospel Music Fever Radio Show. Boykin was the group’s primary lead singer.

In 2015, the prominence of Ladies of De’Voted was propelled by their appearance at WIDU’s Carolina’s Best competition, where they emerged as winners in the quartet category. Their popularity continued to soar after a video posted by Angela Breedlove in 2018 went viral on social media. The video features Ladies of De’Voted singing “All Over Me” and currently has well over one million views.

GMF extends heartfelt condolences to the Fairley and Boykin families as well as to Ladies of De’Voted during this emotionally difficult time.

From an updated press release (12/9/20):

Troy Douglas Clark, a behind-the-scenes music industry veteran who worked as both a talent manager and background vocalist, died of liver failure on November 25, 2020, at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, CA. Two of Clark’s longtime industry friends, recording executive Neily Dickerson and singer Earnest Pugh, have announced a virtual concert celebrating Clark’s life. Dr. Judith Christie McAllister and Pugh will host the virtual Facebook Live concert Friday, December 11, 2020, at 8 PM ET/ 5 PM PT on the @SetAPartandChosen1 page.

The concert will feature gospel stars such as Yolanda Adams, John P. Kee, B. Slade, Kurt Carr, Chrystal Rucker, Nikki Potts, Charles Butler & Trinity, Nikki Potts, Chaz Shepherd, Shamika Bereal, Toya Adams, and more. There will also be appearances from music executives Vicki Mack-Lataillade, Neily Dickerson and Phil Thornton.

There will be a public wake on Thursday, December 17 at 3-5 PM PT at Arnold Family Funeral Services in the Hillside Chapel, 2561 North Fair Oaks Avenue, Altadena, CA 91001. The family requests that viewers adhere to CDC guidelines by wearing masks.

Clark, 53, was a former R&B/Gospel singer who spent the bulk of his career behind-the-scenes of the music industry. In the 1990s, he worked as an A&R Director for GospoCentric Records where he worked with Stephanie Mills, Kirk Franklin, and Kurt Carr, among others. In 2002, he launched Clark Management where his roster of artists included Earnest Pugh, Octavia Pace, B. Slade, Charles Butler & Trinity, among others. “Troy will be greatly missed by countless souls that he impacted with his warm heart, smile, humor and remarkable talent,” says Pugh.

Clark is survived by his mother, Sandra Clark; his sisters Traci Clark and Tamitra “TuTu” Clark; best friend, Everett Jackson, and several extended family members. His father, Dexter Clark, preceded him in death.

GMF sends condolences to the family of Carl Lashaun Anthony, member of George Dean and the Gospel Four. Anthony transitioned November 14, 2020, in Byhalia, MS. Anthony was both a guitarist and singer with the Memphis-based group. His voice is recognizable on such tunes as “Give Him My Heart,” “Going Home Another Way,” and “Blessing Line.” In 2016, he announced the availability of his first solo EP, Family Prayer.

The obituary and service information are posted by Serenity Funeral Home in Mississippi.

Bishop Rance Allen, of the Grammy® Award nominated inspirational soul and gospel trio, The Rance Allen Group, has passed away at the age of 71. 

“While recovering from a medical procedure at Heartland ProMedica [in Sylvania, OH], Bishop Rance Allen passed away around 3 AM this morning,” said Allen’s wife of 49 years, Ellen Allen, and his manager, Toby Jackson, in a joint statement. “I wasn’t expecting to hear this news this morning,” said Tyscot Records President, Bryant Scott, who was nearly speechless upon hearing of the singer’s death.  “This is a great loss to us personally but also to the church community at large.” 

The Rance Allen Group’s progressive brand of Gospel and Allen’s signature grunts and squalls have inspired a generation of gospel artists ranging from Kirk Franklin and Fred Hammond to John P. Kee and Bryan Andrew Wilson. In the 1970s, they pioneered a fusion of R&B rhythms with spiritually charged message music on hits such as “Ain’t No Need of Crying,” “I Belong to You” and their cover of The Temptations’ “Just My Imagination” as “Just My Salvation.” The retro-soul vibe carried over into the group’s hits of the last two decades such as “You That I Trust,” “Miracle Worker,” and “Something About the Name Jesus,” which has clocked over 175 million streams. It’s a brand that won them fans beyond the Gospel world such as American Idol’s Randy Jackson, and Pop rockers Huey Lewis & The News. In a 2019 Rolling Stone interview, Lewis cited “Ain’t No Need of Crying” as one of his all-time Top 5 favorite soul songs alongside tracks by Ray Charles and others. 

Rance Allen was born November 19, 1948 in Monroe, MI. One of twelve children, he began singing and preaching as Little Rance Allen at the age of five. “We were raised in a family where you went to church every single night,” he once said. “To keep our interest, my grandmother Emma Pearl went to a pawn shop and bought instruments, drums, guitars and amplifiers.” Using records by the Rev. James Cleveland and Ray Charles as his guides, he learned to play the piano before picking up the guitar with Chuck Berry as an influence. His grandparents served as his agents, but he once told writer Lee Hildebrand, “I didn’t have a life like most kids had. I wasn’t allowed to go out and play baseball with the guys and do the things a kid does.”

Circa 1967, Rance, with himself on guitar, started the Rance Allen Singers with his older brother Tom on drums and younger brother Steve on bass. They recorded their first song “Let’s Get Together and Love” – a psychedelic song with Allen’s stratospheric high notes and a direct message about Jesus Christ sacrificing his life on the Cross so that mankind could love one another – for the local Reflect label. Then, in 1971 they won a prize of $500 at a Detroit talent contest where legendary Stax Records promotion man Dave Clark was in the audience. Clark liked what he heard and took the renamed Rance Allen Group into the studio and recorded an album’s worth of material that was purchased by Stax Records.

Stax President Al Bell loved the trio’s music so much that he started The Gospel Truth subsidiary specifically to promote it. Their first single was “Just My Salvation,” a 1971 gospel cover of The Temptations’ “Just My Imagination.” Soon, they were appearing on bills with the likes of The Dramatics and Barry White and taking their R&B-infused gospel to an un-churched audience. Their following was built off of hits such as “I Got to Be Myself,” “Ain’t No Need in Crying” and “That Will Be Good Enough for Me.”  

In 1975, they moved to Capitol Records where they recorded a couple of albums before returning to Stax in 1979 after the company was purchased by Fantasy Records. During this period, the group enjoyed its biggest Stax-era radio hit, “I Belong to You,” which reached the Billboard R&B Singles Top 30 chart. From there, they moved to Myrrh Records where they recorded two albums, including, I Give Myself to You, which peaked at #5 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart in 1985.

It was during the 1980s that Rance Allen really began to focus on evangelism. Church of God in Christ (COGIC) leader, Bishop G.E. Patterson, began to mentor him. Under his guidance, Allen founded the New Bethel Church of God COGIC in Toledo, OH in July 1985 and he was elevated to Bishop within the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) in 2011. Aside from preaching at his own church, Allen spent a lot of time on the road evangelizing with Bishop Patterson. Allen didn’t record again until former Stax chief, Al Bell, launched Bellmark Records in 1991. The Rance Allen Group rolled out the album, Phenomenon. It hit #1 on the Billboard gospel albums sales chart with the radio hit “Miracle Worker,” and earned them a performance slot on “The Arsenio Hall Show.”

A decade later, they signed with Tyscot Records and entered a new phase of their career with the Deitrick Haddon-produced set, All the Way, in 2002. However, it was 2004’s The Live Experience that has become the biggest selling album of the group’s entire career. It featured Kirk Franklin on “Something About the Name Jesus” which has amassed over 175 million streams alone. The album also featured appearances from Fred Hammond on “Miracle Worker” and LaShun Pace on “I Can’t help Myself.” In the years since, the group has scored radio hits with “Do Your Will,” “You That I Trust” with Paul Porter, “Closest Friend” and “A Lil Louder (Clap Your Hands).” 

In 2018, rap icon Snoop Dogg featured Rance Allen on his Top 10 Billboard Gospel Digital Songs Sales chart hit, “Blessing Me Again.” It won a BET Award for Best Gospel/Inspirational Song in 2019. At the time of his death, there were plans in the works for Allen to record a new gospel album with contributions from PJ Morton, Charlie Wilson and Kirk Franklin before the COVID19 pandemic put the project on hold. The Rance Allen Group’s most recent studio recording, “I’m So Glad It’s Christmas (Tyscot),” was released on all digital music platforms on October 30, 2020.

Allen is survived by his wife, Ellen Marie Allen, and his brothers, Steve and Tom, and other extended family members.

– From a press release

By Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever

Condolences from the gospel community have been abundant in the days since the transition of Delores Washington-Green on Wednesday, September 2, 2020. Washington-Green had been recovering from a recent stroke, according to an August social media post from her son Leonidas. The classically trained soprano was a member of the legendary Caravans as well as the James Herndon Singers. 

Rev. James Herndon, himself a member of the Caravans from 1959 to 1967 as pianist, singer, and writer of several of their popular songs including “I Won’t Be Back No More (Sweeping Through the City),” remembers how her approach to gospel singing proved to be a fine complement to the gritty gospel fervor that made the Caravans a tour de force.

“Delores was a remarkable talent. She was a trained soprano. She had been taught by Leonard Bernstein’s sister. Really, she added the beauty to the [Caravans’] background. She was what really made it pretty. Even though she didn’t do a lot of leading, she was still an integral part of the group because you just expected to hear her voice when you heard the Caravans.”

When Herndon departed the Caravans and started the James Herndon Singers in 1967, his friend “Dee” was right there along with Josephine Howard, also an alumna of the famed Caravans. He notes that Washington-Green’s 1968 recording of “Oh Lord Have Mercy” became a signature piece for the James Herndon Singers. “That was a big song for Delores. That got to be our anchor for a while.”

She and Herndon also teamed up to record Dynamic Gospel Duets: James and ‘Dee’ for Savoy Records, “and everybody was shocked because she’s a soprano singer and I’m, at best, maybe just a baritone. The range between us was so different, people were amazed that we were able to do that. But we had a closeness of spirit and heart.”

GMF joins the gospel community in extending sympathy to the Green family in this time of bereavement.