Gospel great, Andraé Crouch, dies at the age of 72.

Often called the “Father of Modern Gospel Music,” Andraé Edward Crouch passed away on Thursday, January 8, 2014 at the age of 72.

While no cause of death was announced, Crouch had recently suffered a heart attack. He is survived by his Sister, Sandra.

Crouch revolutionized gospel music in the 1970s, giving it a power and verve that propelled him out of the church and into the mainstream, although he really never left the church either.

“Crouch was an innovator, a path-finder, a precursor in an industry noted for its conservative, often derivative approach to popular music,” Robert Darden wrote for Christianity Today. “He combined gospel and rock, flavored it with jazz and calypso as the mood struck him and the song called for it.”

Read the full story: Gospel music legend Andrae Crouch dies

Andraé Crouch began performing at a very early age and went on to win 7 Grammy awards. His work spanned a wide arena including not just the Christian music scene, which he is credited with revolutionizing in the 1960s and 70s by bringing contemporary music to the church. He worked with pop greats such as Elton John and Micheal Jackson and contributed to movie soundtracks for films such as The Color Purple and The Lion King. He was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1998 and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004.